


El Destino

by ImagineRedwood



Category: Mayans M.C. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Gen, Latina Reader, Oral Sex, Sexual Content, Some Spanish is used, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2020-03-13 05:06:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 84,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18934048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImagineRedwood/pseuds/ImagineRedwood
Summary: Camila Rosa Morales is new to Santo Padre when she catches the eyes of the Reyes family, especially a certain younger Reyes brother. Will EZ allow himself to build a life and future with her, or will he continue to let his past ruin things?





	1. Welcome to Santo Padre

“Alright, you have a great day and enjoy the house. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

Camila nodded gently and returned the realtor’s smile, holding the new keys tightly in her right hand. Her own keys to her own home. It was such an unfamiliar but gratifying feeling and she smiled as she looked back up, the realtor on her way out of the house. The woman exited through the front door and tapped at the wood softly with a wink as Camila watched her.

“Lock up sweetheart. Call me if you have any questions.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Camila nodded, following her. She waited for her to close the door before she locked both locks and turned back to look around her new home, walking until she was at the back of the house at the sliding glass door, looking out at her new backyard. It was a nice two-bedroom two-bath home with a decently sized kitchen and living room. Roomy, but still small enough to easily maintain and perfect for her. The spacious backyard was what she was excited about most though. The moment her realtor had taken her out and shown her the yard, she was in love. 

Gardening had always been a major hobby of hers, arguably her passion. She loved to take the tiniest of seeds and plant them, watching as her love and attention made them grow and flourish into something beautiful. In her old apartment, she’d had simple potted flowers here and there, small containers with various herbs growing for cooking, but she was never able to garden like she had always wanted to. Like she always said she would when she was on her own. Like she had done with her Abuela.

Her old apartment complex didn’t even have a yard. It went from the concrete of the building to the asphalt of the parking lot. No grass or green. Now as she looked out at the bright emerald colored grass, she felt a bubble of excitement swell at how beautiful she would make the yard in time. She could already see the garden in her head, envisioning where she would put what and how useful she was going to make the space. Spinning back around and facing the inside of the house once more, she felt a little less enamored, though she knew she would be able to fix that in time too.

The walls were bland, a plain flat eggshell and the tiles a cool toned ivory that could use a good wax. The place was fully furnished, all of her old furniture having been delivered earlier this morning. It still felt foreign though, no personal touches or individual creativity making the house look like a home. Apart from the furniture being in place, everything else was still entirely empty, all of her belongings still in the boxes that were stacked against the far end corner of the living room where the movers had put them for her. Her clothes were still packed up, toiletries, towels, décor. There was no food, not even water to drink, and she acknowledged that the very first thing she needed to do was go grocery shopping to stock up the fridge and bare pantry.

With both her house and car keys in hand, she turned back towards the front door and grabbed her purse as she made her way out of the house and down the few steps that lead onto the driveway. Along the way, she waved at the two small children that were right next door, tossing a ball back and forth in the driveway. They stopped to wave back at her, small smiles on their chubby faces, their dark hair stuck to their foreheads in the California heat. A woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties and who Camila assumed to be their mother was sat on the porch. They made eye contact and she smiled at her as well and waved as Camila made her way over across the grass to the porch where the woman sat. As she got closer, she saw that the woman’s cheeks were just as full and her hair just as dark as theirs, though it was sparsely streaked with a few greying hairs.

“Good morning.”

The woman’s smile widened at the striking of conversation.

“Good morning. You are our new neighbor?”

The kids continued to play amongst themselves and Camila gave her a nod, glancing back towards her door.

“Yep, that’s me. I’m Camila.”

The woman smiled warmly as Camila spoke, hearing the Spanish accent in how she pronounced her own name. Camila had done the same, noticing the Spanish accent that the woman had as well, though it was there all the time.

“I’m Elisa. ¿Eres Mexicana?”

It was Camila’s turn to smile now and she nodded proudly.

“¿Y tu?”

The woman nodded as well, her smile bright, bringing out the crinkles in the corners of her eyes.

The two of them continued speaking amongst themselves while Elisa called the boy and girl up to meet her and say hi. She introduced Camila to the children, Esperanza and Edwardo, who they called Eddy.

Camila squatted down to their level, saying hello and inspecting the small firetruck the Eddy pulled from his pocket and the half-eaten animal cracker Esperanza pulled from hers. The children ran off to play catch once more and she stood with Elisa to make small talk for a bit before they parted ways, Camila telling her that she had to go into town for some groceries. Making her way to her car, she climbed in and turned the air all the way up. A contented sigh left her lips as the cool air hit her skin and she grabbed ahold of her espresso hair, pulling it back and up into a ponytail before tossing it up into a bun. Brushing away a stray piece of hair that slipped out, she buckled up and started pulling out onto the road, laughing softly as she looked up to see Eddy and Esperanza enthusiastically waving their tiny hands at her in a goodbye as they stood looking down the driveway. Camila smiled as she drove off down the road and into town, happy that if nothing else, at least she had good neighbors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila let out a grunt as she lifted the heavy case of water from within her shopping cart and put it down onto the conveyer belt, the cart finally empty. The young cashier was slowly ringing up the last of the items as Camila pulled out her debit card, ready to insert it into the machine. Looking over everything that she had bought, she cursed under her breath.

“Shit, I forgot to grab some meat. Do you think I can run back there real quick and get some before you finish charging?”

The teenager with purple hair shook her head, loudly popping her gum before continuing to chew it exaggeratively.

“Don’t bother, the meat here sucks. Plus, it’s usually out of date. I wouldn’t eat it if they gave it to me free, and I get an employee discount.”

Camila rose an eyebrow, shocked that the girl would admit that to a customer, but still grateful for the honesty. If there was one thing she could appreciate, it was honesty, and between the realtor who had sold her the house that told her which companies not to use for lawn service and this girl now, she could tell that honesty seemed to be common in the town of Santo Padre. Either that or they couldn’t be bothered with the bullshit.

With a nod, she pushed her card into the chip reader, giving the cashier a small smile.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

“No problem.”  

Loading up the last of the bags into her trunk, Camila closed the door and returned the shopping cart before stepping into her car. After starting it up, she sighed and started pulling out of the space, exiting the parking lot. She really didn’t want to have to come back out shopping tomorrow just for meat. She just wanted to spend the next few days getting the house together and settling in, but she didn’t feel like driving out of her way just for meat after such a long day either. Settling for just going back out some time later in the week, she kept driving down the road. It was getting late, the sun probably only minutes from starting to set and there was practically no one out on the road. She dropped to 5 below the speed limit of 30 and took in the scenery of the little shops and outlets along the main road, one in particular catching her attention.

**CARNICERIA REYES**

She smiled happily to herself and pulled into the parking space right in front of the store, hoping they weren’t closed yet. Looking into the window, she saw the open sign still facing out. Hopping out of her car quickly and walking up the storefront she put her hand on the door handle and pulled it open, grinning as she read the banner along the window. Camila walked into the store and looked around. It was smaller but big enough to have a decent selection, at least of what she usually ate.

In the back, Felipe heard the bell of the door being opened and looked down at his watch. It was a little late, people never came in at this time. Technically he was closed, he just hadn’t gone to flip the sign and lock the door yet. He picked his pistol up from the table in front of him and walked out to the doorway that lead into the store. He peered out slowly, always prepared. The tension in his shoulders released as he looked in and saw a young woman there, looking at the meats through the glass. He put the gun back down onto the table and walked out slowly so as not to scare her as she turned around, hearing his footsteps. She smiled as soon as they locked eyes and Felipe returned it, walking around to get behind the counter.

“What can I get for you?”

Camila looked around some more, eyebrows scrunched as she looked over everything.

“I’ll get churrasco, uh…some chorizo and some fresh salsa verde if you still have any left.”

Felipe nodded pointed to the one canister of salsa verde left in the fridge.

“You’re lucky. Last one.”

She grinned again and so did Felipe, beginning to pull out and packaging the meat as Camila walked around, looking at the rest of the store.

“Are you new here?”  

She chuckled and confirmed, sending a look his way.

“Is it that obvious?”

Felipe shrugged and gave a half smile.

“Not exactly. Just a smaller town. Haven’t seen you around before.  I’m pretty good with faces.”

“I just moved here. Well not to California but to this town. I used to live in San Jose so this is…different. I like it though.”

“Yeah, that is a change.  Gotta get used to not falling asleep to the sound of sirens.”

The two of them laughed together and she walked back up to the counter as Felipe put the salsa in the second bag, reaching over the top of the counter to hand them to her.

“Gracias.”

“De nada, niña.”

She handed over a twenty and looked over at the door, she squinted trying to read the business hours sign as Felipe got together her change.

“What time do you close?”

“About 5.”

Looking down at her watch, she winced and looked up at him apologetically.

“Damn sorry, it’s 5:45 now.”

Felipe shrugged and gave a dismissive motion with his hand.

“Sometimes I can make an exception.”

Camila smiled and folded her hands together in front of her in gratitude, walking backwards towards the door.

“Well thank you. I promise I won’t make a habit out of it. Keep the change for the trouble. Adios.”

“Nos vemos.”

Felipe watched as she walked out, unlocking her car and placing the two bags in her trunk before going around and getting in. He walked over to the door, finally turning the sign over to the ‘sorry, we’re closed side’ and locking the door, looking out the door again just in time to see her wave goodbye as she drove off. He chuckled to himself softly and switched off the light in the front, walking to the back of the store. He hadn’t been around someone so friendly and polite in a while. Some of the customers that came in were rude and in a rush, no time for small talk while the others had been coming to him for so long, there was no more small talk left to be had. The new kid was a change in the monotony and that was something Felipe could appreciate. In a way she reminded him of EZ, being sweet even to strangers.

With all the lights off and his jacket on, Felipe walked out through the back door of the shop and locked up before getting into his truck. No doubt the boys would be getting to his house shortly for the dinner he had promised them, that was if they weren’t there already.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where you been pop? We’ve been waiting 30 minutes here already.”

Felipe rolled his eyes at his oldest son and took off his coat, hanging it on the back of the chair next to him before locking the front door behind him.

“If you knew how to cook, you could’ve gotten it started for me.”

EZ chuckled from his spot on the couch, dodging the pillow that Angel had thrown at him with a scowl.

“If I would’ve gotten it started for you, you wouldn’t have had a house to come back to. You remember last time I tried to fry up the tortillas?”

Felipe nodded, recalling the time he’s had to finally use that 10-year-old fire extinguisher that was in the corner of the counter after Angel had nearly engulfed the kitchen.

“That’s why I said 'if'.”

EZ laughed again and stood, making his way into the kitchen behind his father while Angel relaxed back into the couch, grumbling to himself as he kicked his boots off and turned on the TV.

“How was your day, pop? Busy?”

The older man shook his head, going into the fridge to grab three beers.

“No actually, it was a pretty smooth day.”

EZ nodded, taking the beer from his father’s outstretched hand.

“I just figured since you were late. Everything’s ok at the shop?”

“Everything’s fine, just had a new customer. She didn’t know the hours and I forgot to lock the door so she came in as I was going to come home, that’s all. Nice kid.”

EZ took a swig of his beer with a nod, just happy that his dad was doing ok. He was on edge all the time, worried about this DEA deal going south and blowing up. Felipe seemed to be the calmest out of the two of them though and EZ was thankful for that.  His dad was his rock and no matter what he would always make sure that he was safe. Him and Angel. The two people he loved the most.

Felipe kept quiet after that, in his own head as usual as he chopped up the poblanos. EZ watched him for a couple of seconds more before opening Ange’s bottle and heading back into the living room to him, handing it to his big brother before taking a seat beside him. Angel thanked him with a wink and held his bottle out, EZ clinking the glass against his and watching the movie along with him in peaceful silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Camila huffed and ran the back of her hand over her forehead, brushing away the hair and sweat that was there, a slight ache in her lower back as she stood. She smiled proudly down at her garden, dirty hands resting by her side. Chucks of soil tumbled off her fingers as she continued to look over the garden, everything now finally planted and situated after three days. She wasn’t nearly done with her garden, still so much to be grown, but planting the seeds and small trees of what she ate were her main goal. The size of the backyard had spoken to her as soon as she had seen it and immediately, she’d wanted to get started as soon as possible with growing her own produce. As a child, her Abuela always grown her own vegetables and fruits amongst other plants, and Camila had always been right there alongside her, helping her with the process. Sure, it was bonding time between the two of them, but to Camila, it was much more than that. Gardening with Abuela Magdalena taught her patience, taught her how showering something in love could make it grow and bloom, just like people. Her Abuela had always said that love, dedication, and support could heal even the most withered flower and while it took a little more work, it could do the same for a human. 

  
That was where Camila’s loving nature came from. She treated everyone she met with the same gentleness and warmth as she had treated the sunflowers in her Abuela’s garden. She could be a little rough around the edges sometimes, with an over forgiving attitude that had led to her kindness being taken advantage of more times than she would like to count, and a rage that exploded when she’d finally had enough. She was complicated and layered, much like the onions she used to fish out of the damp soil but she tried her best to be the best that she could be and sitting in a garden with the fresh scent of rosemary and rainwater always helped her reflect so she could do that. 

  
Dusting her hands off and giving herself a nod of approval, she ran a dirt-covered finger over the smooth green skin of the tiny tomato on the tree she had just planted and made her way back inside of the house for a shower before heading into town. 

  
“There isn’t all that much experience needed, we just like people who are friendly, knowledgeable about different genres especially the newer ones. It’s not a library, though we do try to provide some similar services when needed. An old man like me isn’t very computer or tech savvy so it’s good to have young folks like yourself here who can help them out. Plus, you say you enjoy kids. You meet all of those so it seems to me that you’ll be a great fit.” 

  
Camila smiled as the older gentleman spoke, walking with her slowly through the bookstore, after having gotten the story and history of her new workplace. It had started as your everyday run of the mill bookstore way back when Mr. Salvatore had first moved into town. It was the only bookstore in town until everything started expanding. Lately, they had started to see their patrons dwindling and Mr. Salvatore’s daughter Sandra had come up with the idea to buy the unit next to the bookstore and expand as well, adding a café and more technology into the mix. She was a tall, box blonde in her thirties with a bright and warm aura and an eye for decor. She’d said they needed to take a more modern approach, Mr. Salvatore had agreed and business had been booming ever since, now needing to hire some more employees to keep up with the demand. Camila had seen the ad for hiring in the local newspaper and decided to give it a shot. She loved to read, a good couple of boxes full to the brim with books back in the home that she had yet to buy a shelf for. The job seemed like the perfect one for her and so she’d figured she would try her luck.

  
Coming to stand back at the check-in and cash register desk at the front, he hobbled over behind the counter and tucked his thumbs into his worn leather suspenders, smiling as he looked at her.

  
“So, when can you start?” 

  
Camila laughed softly and shrugged. 

  
“Whenever you need me to, really. It’s not like I have any plans. I’d like to get back to work. I can start tomorrow if you’d like.”

  
At that, the man smiled again, holding his right hand out for her to shake. 

  
“Well then young lady, I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.” 

  
Camila took his wrinkled hand in her own and shook it gently once before he placed his other atop hers, holding them in his. 

  
“It’ll be good to have a new, nice face around here.”  

Turning, he reached over and picked up a small white binder that all the new employees got with a list of what aisles held what genres, a current calendar with the next three months of events and other tips to make memorization of the bookstore easier. She took the binder from his hands, looking through it quickly before tossing him one last smile. 

  
“Thank you, Mr. Salvatore. I’ll meet you and Sandra here tomorrow.”

  
Camila hummed to herself quietly as she pulled the new books from the cardboard box and stocked them up along the cherry stained wooden shelf. Though it wasn’t overwhelmingly exciting, it was one of the most relaxing jobs she’d ever had. She’d been able to memorize most of the cheat sheet that Mr. Salvatore had given her which made things much easier when it came to both stocking and helping any customers. The environment was quiet, cozy and laid back, not to mention the place smelled of fresh baked pastries and coffee from the café that was in the front of the store. As if that wasn’t enough, Mr. Salvatore had it that all employees could have coffee and a pastry for free on their breaks and could take home from the bunch that were left over and to be thrown away at the end of the day. Both he and his daughter had been nothing but the sweetest to her and after speaking to the other employees over lunch, she found that being nice was just a part of who they were. Every employee, no matter if they’d worked there for 1 week or 5 years, could vouch for the father-daughter duo and how they were the best employers anyone could wish for. 

  
Camila finished stocking the new books on the ‘New Releases’ self and was in the process of pulling apart the empty box when Sandra walked up, smile as bright as ever. 

  
“Hey, honey. Can you do me a favor?”

  
Camila nodded and Sandra pulled out a folded paper from the pocket of her jeans. 

  
“Can you pick these books out for me when you get a chance? It doesn’t have to be now but have them done by closing time, please. Dad usually does this but he forgot today was Tuesday and he made an appointment with his cardiologist so we have to get that done. Just put the books together in a bag leave them on the shelf behind the front desk. Someone named Ezekiel will be by to pick them up later on. Don’t charge him. We have a little thing going where he just kinda rents them and brings them back when he’s done.”

  
Camila acknowledged her and held the list in her hand, unfolding it to look it over. 

  
“I just finished stocking the last of the new releases so I can do it now, make sure I don’t forget.” 

  
Sandra smiled and reached over to place a hand on Camila’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. 

  
“Thank you so much, sweetheart. I’m glad you’ve joined us here. I’ve already had 3 customers tell us how helpful you’ve been. Keep up the good work kiddo.”

  
To Sandra, it might’ve just been her everyday employee encouragement, but Camila couldn’t help but blush and beam at the woman’s words, always having been a sucker for praise. It made her ears get hot and instilled a burst of energy as it always did and she nodded quickly. 

  
“Thank you, Sandra. I’ll get it done right now.”   
“No problem. We’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Camila continued to look over the list as they went separate ways, seeing that all the books were in a variety of genres. There were books of poetry and fiction, Sci-Fi and nature, horror and spirituality. There was a mix and Camila couldn’t help but wonder who would be picking them up. She tried to picture them in her head as she went around and pulled the books. Her imagination is what had drawn her to reading as a child in the first place and by the time she had collected the books from the list, she hadn’t been able to conjure up what she expected the person would look like. It was hard to get a feel with how sporadic the books were and how none of them seemed to have anything in common or similar to the next one. 

  
Soon enough, she’d collected all of the books and had bagged them up, taking them up the front where Sandra had told her. She went back to the main center of the bookstore and looked around, everything seeming to have emptied out by now. She had volunteered to close up and was consequently that last employee in the store apart from the two baristas that were wiping down the espresso machines. There was one patron left in the café, a high school student no more than 16 that had been there since earlier this afternoon. He wore a grey hoodie and bags under his eyes, his hair messy and greasy and she could tell he was exhausted as his eyes continued to gaze at the laptop screen in front of him. She walked over and placed her hand down onto the tabletop, rapping her nails against it softly, getting his attention. He looked up at her and she smiled softly, pointing over at the clock. 

  
“It’s getting close to closing time. Just wanted to let you know so you have time to save everything and get packed up. Do you need help with anything?” 

  
The kid cursed quietly and shook his head in frustration. 

  
“Shit, sorry. I lost track of time. I’m just trying to get this presentation done for school and my brain is fried. I can’t come up with anything else and I still have 6 slides left.” 

  
Camila took a seat next to the kid and pointed at his screen. 

  
“Do you mind?”  
“Nah, go ahead.”

  
He turned the screen towards her and she looked over the PowerPoint, a slight grin coming to her face as she saw what the topic was. 

  
“Ya know, I may or may not have done a project myself on the Collapse of the Roman Empire when I was in high school. When is this due?”

  
“Two days from now. I put it off and it snuck up on me. That’s why I skipped school today. Don’t tell anyone please!” 

  
Camila laughed as his voice took a worried edge at the end after he had outed himself. She was about to respond when the bell dinged as the door opened. She looked over as a man walked in and went straight to the front desk, waiting patiently. She couldn’t see his face but what she could see was the leather and the patch he wore. No one had mentioned that there was an MC in town.   
Pointing down at the table, she turned back to the kid and leaned in. 

  
“I’ll tell you what. I think I still have that paper saved somewhere on my computer. I’ll bring it with me tomorrow and I’ll help you out to finish those last couple of slides. After school! Don’t skip.” 

  
The boy’s eyes widened some before a grin slowly made its way onto his face, nodding feverishly. 

  
“OK! I won’t skip, I promise. I’ll be here after school at 2.”

  
Camila nodded herself and pushed his backpack towards him before standing. 

  
“Go home. And get some good sleep.” 

  
She turned back towards the front desk and set into a brisk walk, not wanting to make the man wait any longer. As she came around, he locked eyes with her and gave a warm smile. Reciprocating, she faced him, hands planted flat on the countertop. 

  
“Hi. You must be Ezekiel?”  
“Yeah, that’s me.” 

  
Camila turned and grabbed the bag off of the shelf, holding it out for him. 

  
“Here you go. Everything’s in there for you.”   
“Thank you. Is everything ok with Mr. Salvatore?” 

  
Camila nodded, seeing the concern in his eyes.

  
“Yeah, he’s ok. He just had a doctor’s appointment. Sandra said he forgot it was Tuesday otherwise he would’ve been here to see you.” 

  
Ezekiel smiled softly and looked down into the bag before looking back up into her eyes.

“Yeah, I like to read but I don’t really have room to keep a bunch of books so I just rent them from him and give them back.”

  
“Yeah, Sandra was telling me.” 

  
There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other. Just as Ezekiel opened his mouth to speak again, the student from earlier came up to the counter, butting in. 

  
“Hey, thanks again. I really appreciate it.”  
“Oh, you’re welcome…”  
“Ethan.”  
“Ethan. I’m Camila. I’ll see you tomorrow. Make sure you bring all your stuff and we’ll get that project finished up ok?”

  
The kid smiled and nodded as he situated his backpack on his shoulder. 

  
“Yes, ma’am.” 

  
He waved as he left and she returned it, EZ smiling to himself at the interaction as he looked back at her.

  
“Are you a teacher?”

  
Camila shook her head with a smile, watching out the window as the kid got onto his bike.  

  
“No, just helping out. I like kids, even the older ones. He’s got a project due and he’s having trouble wrapping it up.” 

  
Ezekiel nodded once more, smiling at her as he did. 

  
“Yeah, I remember those days. Good old procrastination.”

  
The two of them shared a laugh and were once again surrounded by silence. Their smiles slowly faded from their faces and yet they still stayed looking at each other for a second more before they quickly looked away, EZ looking down at his books and Camila suddenly finding the glitter in her nail polish to be very interesting. It was awkward and they both began to talk at the exact same time to break the silence. 

  
“Well, it was nice meeting you.”  
“Nice to meet you.” 

  
EZ shook his head as she threw hers back, both of their laughs filling the emptiness of the bookstore. Camila spoke alone this time.

  
“Sorry for being kinda awkward. I just moved here and it’s a lot of new people and places and new everything. Just trying to get my footing.” 

  
EZ nodded in agreement with her statement but also to himself. Though he wasn’t new in town, he was getting back into the swing of things after having been locked up. He was also meeting new people and seeing new places, trying to get his footing himself. A lot had changed since he’d gone to jail and he could understand where she was coming from, though he wasn’t exactly ready to admit all of that to her. She was sweet, both carefree and awkward at the same time, and he thought she was beautiful. After being inside, he was willing to admit that he was off his game and more than a little rusty when it came to women. He was sure if Angel could see him, he’d be laughing his ass off at his little brother. With everything going on in his life at the moment, finding a girl and getting into a relationship was the last thing on his mind. He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt towards her, both physically and personally but the fewer people he brought into the mess that he had created with the DEA and the club, the better. 

  
Slapping his hand onto the counter softly, he pulled away shooting her another smile as he headed towards the door. 

  
“Well, I’ll see you around Camila. Thanks for the books.” 

  
With a grin and a wave, she said goodbye and watched as he walked out, putting away his bag before climbing onto his bike. She winced slightly as he started it up and the rumble engulfed the street. She looked back around the shop, the baristas having already gone home and everything situated, ready for her to lock up. She went to the front door and locked it, turning over the closed sign before heading to the back, into the breakroom to grab her things. Purse in hand, she walked to the rear of the store, going out the back door and locking that one up too. Looking down at her watch, she read the time. It was only four thirty and Felipe’s shop didn’t close until five. She’d promised that she wouldn’t make a habit of being late and she was a woman of her word. 

Unlocking her car, she climbed in and pulled out her card before tossing her purse into the passenger seat and starting up the car. She pulled out of the back lot and went around the complex, driving down the main street and parking further up the block where the carniceria was. She walked up to the door and pushed it open, smiling as she saw Felipe standing behind the counter. Walking in further and turning, she found Ezekiel sitting on one of the chairs also looking over at her.  The two of them looked at each other for a good couple of seconds, not really knowing what to say. Camila settled for trying to make a joke. 

  
“I swear I’m not stalking you.” 

  
EZ chuckled as Felipe looked between them. 

  
“You two know each other?”

  
They both shook their heads at the same time, EZ stepping in to explain.

  
“She just started working at the Salvatore bookstore. I bumped into her earlier. I was there to pick up some books.”

  
Felipe closed his eyes and nodded once in understanding before looking back at Camila with a smile which she returned as she walked up to the counter. 

  
“Hola Señor.”   
“Hola nena.”   
“I need 6 chicken breasts por favor.”

  
Felipe began to pull her meats out and continued to speak to her as EZ watched. 

  
“So, you’re working at the bookstore?”

  
“Yeah. I started today. It’s not bad. I like it. Plus it’s close, good hours.”   
“Are you all moved in?”   
“Gracias a Dios, yes. I still have a couple of small boxes left to unpack but they’re full of little stuff. The house itself is all done though.” 

  
Now it was EZ’s turn to repeat Felipe’s question from earlier.

  
“Do you two know each other?” 

  
Camila turned to face EZ as Felipe continued to pack up her chicken, a small smile on her face. 

  
“Not really. I mean we’ve met before. I came here a couple of days ago to buy some meat and we started talking then.”

  
Camila trailed off before pointing between EZ and Felipe. 

  
“So, I guess it’s my turn to ask. Do you two know each other?” 

  
Both men shared a laugh and Camila furrowed her brows slightly, not really understanding what was so funny. 

  
“Yeah, you could say that.”

  
She looked over at Felipe and he pulled off his gloves, turning around to grab a framed picture off of the wall behind him and hand it over to her. Her eyes looked over the sweet little boy in the picture, the smile still identical, and she turned to look at EZ, who sat with one leg crossed over the other, a proud look on his face as he spoke.

  
“That’s my pops.” 

  
Camila looked back and forth between the two of them, searching their faces in awe of how she hadn’t realized before. 

  
“Well shit.”  

  
The three of them shared a laugh and she handed the photo back to Felipe, EZ coming to stand as Felipe put it back and finished packaging her chicken. He placed the bag on top of the counter and gave her the total. Felipe observed quietly as his son eyed the girl as she paid. His eyes broke away from her for a moment and then caught those of his fathers, watching him watch her. Even a grown man now, he still blushed and looked down bashfully as his father rolled his eyes but still smiled. The machine printed out her receipt and she grabbed it along with her bag, looking back up at Felipe. 

  
“Thank you Señor.”   
“You can call me Felipe.” 

  
Camila nodded as she turned and began heading towards the door. 

  
“Gracias Felipe.” 

  
She turned her head slightly and looked at EZ, waving with her empty hand. 

  
“Bye Ezekiel.”   
“Bye.” 

Camila walked out of the store and made her way to her car, both Reyes men watching her as she did. EZ looked back over as Felipe began disinfecting the counters and scale, walking up to the counter. 

  
“That’s the girl you were talking about?”

  
Felipe nodded, tossing the wipes into the trash as he walked out from behind the counter and towards EZ, who was still looking out the window at Camila. He returned his gaze to his father with a lazy smile as he felt his dad grab his shoulder. He expected him to tease him, poke fun at how engrossed in her he was. His smile quickly faltered though as he saw the look his father wore. 

  
“What’s up, pop?” 

  
The older man sighed deeply, tossing his head towards the back room. 

  
“Lock up the front and flip the sign. We gotta talk about KJ.”


	3. Chapter 3

Camila sipped at her iced tea as she sat in her back patio, overlooking her garden that had finally started to bloom and reflecting on her past month. A good three weeks had gone by since she had settled into her new home in Santo Padre. She’d settled into her home, settled into her job, and settled into her life, slowly making more and more friends as she met new people. Living by herself, she had gotten rather close to the neighbor Elisa and her children, the four of them having already had dinner together twice so far. Elisa was sweet and nurturing, a mother figure through and through and Camila couldn’t help but be reminded of her own mother, all warm food and even warmer love.  She’d built a relationship with them, as well as Mr. Salvatore and Sandra at the bookstore. She had learned more about their family and their history, learned about Ethan’s academic struggles as he came to the bookstore more often to study and do research. She had started to feel that she fit in and was enjoying the feeling of being accepted by those around her. 

The Reyes family was a little different though. Camila had settled for going to Felipe’s when she could, opting to put her money back into her community and a business she trusted rather than some chain. All her meats and spices were purchased from there and slowly she had started building up somewhat of an acquaintanceship with him, occasionally bumping into EZ as well. But there always seemed to be somewhat of a wall put up there, where they were kind but kept the interactions minimal. Every now and then she would see them break out, sharing a little more, being a little more open, but it always seemed to get closed back down eventually and Camila couldn’t help but wonder why. It was clearly a family business, the name of the shop being their own. She had taken notice of the photos along the wall when she waited for Felipe to pack up her meat of choice. She had seen the woman in the pictures, her hand grasping EZ’s at a baseball game, Felipe standing next to her with a smile as bright as the sun. The fact that she never saw the woman and they never mentioned her was not lost on Camila. She could read people well, always had ever since she was little. A blessing her mother had called it, though sometimes it felt more like a curse. She could feel that the family had been struck by tragedy, though she didn’t exactly know in what way, but she could tell that both EZ and Felipe carried some sorrow in their hearts and she figured she would do what she could to bring a little brightness into their lives.

Standing from her chair, Camilla made her way out to the garden and grabbed the woven basket sat on the stool, beginning to pick some of the vegetables that were large and ripe. She picked off 3 bell peppers, 2 yellow and one green, a couple Roma tomatoes and snipped a handful of cilantro, placing them into her basket. Once back in the house, she headed to the kitchen, washing the vegetables and drying them. She pulled out one of her reusable grocery bags, unfolding it and placing the vibrant vegetables inside with a smile. After the kindness that Felipe had shown her, she figured it was only right to pay him back.

The bell jingled as Camila walked into the carniceria, looking around to see if Felipe was in the front. Finding the counter empty, she looked around, seeing a taller man walking out from the back of the shop. He wore the same kutte that EZ wore and the same bright smile, though there was a hint of a smirk in this man’s as he looked at her.

“Hi, I’m Angel.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Camila. Is Felipe in?”

Just as she asked the question, the white-haired man stepped out from the back, walking around Angel to greet Camila.

“Hola, nena.”

“Hola Felipe.”

Both men looked at her as she walked over to the table in the shop, placing down her bag and motioning for Felipe to go over to her with a smile. With furrowed brows, he walked around, heading over toward where she stood with her hands digging in the bag.

“I figured, you always help me out telling me where to shop at, you stayed open that first day I got here even though it was late. I had the day off today so I brought you some stuff.”

Felipe’s eyes watched as she pulled the vegetables out from the bag, their skin bright and plump. She handed them over to him and explained with a soft smile.

“I know you said you liked to cook so I thought these would come in handy. They’re kinda small, but they’re fresh and I don’t use any chemicals pesticides so. It's just me at home so I thought I could share them with you.”

Camila began to ramble slightly as she started feeling like maybe doing this had seemed like a better idea in her head, the confused gaze of the man named Angel on her making her slightly nervous.

“You know, maybe make some pico de gallo or fajitas with them. It’s cool if you don’t want them. I just thought…”

Camila quieted down as Felipe reached out with a smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

“They’re very nice mija. Thank you. You grew them yourself?”

Camila nodded excitedly, not feeling nearly on edge now that she knew he liked her gift.

“Yeah. I started a garden as soon as I moved into the new house. I always gardened with my Abuelita and we grew a lot of our own produce so I wanted to get back to that. It’s not finished yet but it’s getting there.”

Felipe gave another smile, his eyes staring down at the produce. His voice was quiet as he spoke.

“My wife, Marisol, used to garden. She was more into flowers than produce but she loved the process just the same. Every Sunday you would see her out there, big hat on, pruning her roses.”

He was quiet for a couple of seconds as he got lost in his thoughts, Angel looking at him with an unreadable expression. Finally, Felipe looked back up towards Camila, a true smile on his face.

“Thank you. I see you’ve met my other son, Angel.”

With eyes widening, Camila smiled again feeling more at ease.

“Oh, yeah. He just introduced himself. I didn’t know you had another son.”

The small smile that Angel wore faltered a bit and Camila noticed, not knowing if she had misspoken or put her foot in her mouth. Feeling like she somehow had, she looked between the two, grinning.

“It’s nice to meet you though. I met EZ and now him. Do you have any other children?”

Felipe nodded and reached over to roughly clap Angel on the back.

“Nope. Just my two boys.”

There was a bit of an awkward silence as Camila stood there, still wondering what she had said wrong and she tried to break the ice once again, hoping not to leave a negative impression on the Reyes brother.

“So, who’s older, you or EZ?”

Angel smiled and turned his chin up a bit, a proud smile on his face.

“Me. EZ’s the baby.”

Camila nodded, falling quiet and it was Angel who spoke first this time.

“You come here often?”

She looked at him and he winced, holding a hand up.

“I ain’t trying to pick you up or anything, I was just asking. I see you and pops know each other so I was just wondering.”

They both laughed, Felipe not really paying any mind to either of them, more focused on putting the vegetables away carefully to take home.

“Once a week or so. This was the first carniceria I saw when I moved so I’m loyal to coming here now. Especially considering your dad didn’t kick me out when I came in here like 45 minutes late.”

Felipe chuckled softly in the background at her comment while Angel put the pieces together in his head. About how Felipe had said he’d had a new customer that came in late a couple of weeks ago, how EZ had bumped into her once at the shop as well, then realized she was the same new girl that was working at the bookstore. EZ had spoken about her once or twice, saying that she and Felipe had developed and acquaintanceship. Even if they had only met twice, Angel could tell that EZ was somewhat interested in her and he was happy to hear it, hoping that maybe finally he would find someone else and get over Emily. All he wanted was for his baby brother to be happy.

The two continued to make small talk until Felipe had a customer come in. Looking at her watch, Camila shrugged and took a deep breath.

“Bueno, I gotta get going.  I have a couple of errands I have to run. It was nice meeting you though.”

Camila stuck her hand out and Angel took it in his, her hand being engulfed as they shook. Grabbing her bag, she stood from the chair and waved to Felipe as she headed towards the door.

“Adios.”

“Adios, Camila.”

She walked out of the shop and got into her car, recalling the look of appreciation on Felipe’s face when she gave him the vegetables with a smile. Starting up her car, she pulled out around Angel’s bike and drove further up the street to the bookstore, figuring she’d stop in and get a cup of coffee before going shopping. Pulling up in front, she hopped out and headed inside, going up to the front desk to say hi to Mr. Salvatore before heading to the café and getting in line.  She was reading the menu up on the board when she heard someone call out to her.

“Hey, Miss Camila!”

Turning with scrunched brows, she found the high schooler Ethan jogging up to her, a wide grin on his face.

“I got a 97 on my new presentation! That bumped me up like 8 points so I have a B+ in my class now.”

Her smile grew to match his and she reached over for a high five.

“Good job! I’m proud of you.”

The kid’s smile dropped momentarily before he beamed again, a pink hue showing up along his cheeks and the tips of his ears as he slapped his palm against hers. He looked down at his shoes for a moment.

“Never really had anyone say that to me before.”

Camila’s heart clenched and she had to try hard to keep her features neutral. Squeezing his shoulder, she pulled him towards her in line and repeated herself.

“Well, I’m proud of you. If no one else is, just know that I am.”

The kid blushed further and she pointed up at the menu.

“Order whatever you want, my treat.”

“I mean it isn’t terrible. My mom tries you know. She has to work two jobs to be able to pay for everything so she isn’t home much. Never met my dad so it’s not like he’s there to help out with the bills or my younger siblings. I just wish I had more support at home I guess.”

Camila nodded as she listened, sipping at her latte as Ethan opened up to her about his home life. She had learned a good bit more about him over the last 30 minutes, the two of them enjoying a coffee and getting to know each other a little bit more since they weren’t pouring over a PowerPoint this time. She’d learned a lot about him, the main thing being that he was a lonely kid just trying to figure things out with next to no support at home. She felt bad for him and figured if nothing else, she would be the support he needed. They continued to talk, Camila looking over instinctually as the front door of the bookstore opened, EZ walking in. He looked around the store, searching for something and coming up blank before turning to Mr. Salvatore. The two of them spoke for a moment before Mr. Salvatore pointed over to Camila. EZ turned and looked at her, that smile coming to his face as they locked eyes. It was Ethan’s voice that brought her attention back to him.

“Is that your boyfriend?”

Camila’s head snapped over to him and she shook her head quickly.

“No, no. He just comes here sometimes. I know his dad.”

The high schooler nodded exaggeratedly with a knowing smirk.

“Riiiiight.”

Camila laughed, shushing him quietly, willing him to drop it but the boy continued.

“You both like each other. It’s pretty obvious.”

She opened her mouth to defend herself but Ethan butted in again.

“I saw you two making googly eyes at each other last time I was here. I ain’t blind. Look! He’s coming over right now.”

Camila’s eyes and head swiveling over to see EZ making his way over to the both of them. That million-dollar smile was still on his face and he waved to the kid before addressing her.

“How’ve you been?”

“I’m good, you?”

“Good. I was just stopping in before I head over to Pop’s shop.”

“I just came back from there. Met your brother.”

EZ laughed and looked out the window.

“Hope he wasn’t too annoying.”

They both shared a laugh, the moment broken by Ethan clearing his throat, a smirk fighting its way onto his face. EZ noticed and held his hand out to the kid, shaking it firmly.

“Sorry man. Didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.”

Ethan shook his head quickly and stood, giving her a look before turning back to EZ.

“I was actually just going. Why don’t you sit, catch up?”

Ethan motioned to his chair and she made a mental note to pinch him next time she saw him.

“You sure?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got stuff to do. See you around Camila.”

Ethan quickly gathered his stuff, nearly leaving the bookstore but not before wiggling his eyebrows at her as he did. EZ took a seat where Ethan had been, motioning to her coffee.

“I would offer to buy you a cup of coffee but…”

She smiled softly and shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it. Next time. You here for more books?”

EZ’s gaze on her sobered up some and he nodded quickly.

“Yeah. Yeah. I finished the first three so I was just checking to see when Sal wanted me to come back to drop them off. So, you met Angel?”

She couldn’t help but feel like he was trying to change the subject but she followed along anyway.

“Yeah, he was there when I went over. I took some vegetables. I finally got my garden going so I thought I could give your dad some.”

EZ’s trademark smile came back to his face.

“Thanks for doing that. Thinking about my dad I mean.”

“Oh, no problem. It’s only fair.”

There was a comfortable silence that fell over the two of them as Camila took a large sip of her coffee.

“So how did you and Mr. Salvatore meet?”

EZ hesitated for a moment, not exactly sure if he wanted to tell her the truth. He had just met her and liked her; he didn’t want to drive her away so quickly by telling her that he was a felon. He didn’t want to start the basis of their friendship with a lie either, so swallowing his pride, he told her the truth.

“I had known him somewhat when I was a kid, in high school. It wasn’t until I got out of prison that we got to really know each other.”

EZ paused for a moment, watching for her reaction. He kept going when he didn’t see one.

“I like reading but I don’t really have anywhere to put books that I would buy so we set up this thing where he lets me kinda rent the books that I want for free and then I bring them back to him when I finish. Says its something to keep me busy.”

Camila smiled warmly and EZ felt his apprehension dwindle.

“That’s awesome. I wish more people did things like that. How long have you been out, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“A couple months. I got out and joined the MC with Angel.”

“That’s cool. Getting to spend time with your big brother, kinda follow him. My mom always said that everything happens for a reason. Even when bad shit happens, sometimes it has a way of working out in the end. It wasn’t an ideal situation for you, but now you get to be closer to your brother instead of drifting apart like most brothers do at this age.”

EZ nodded but he couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that bubbled up upon hearing her words. Looking from the outside in, that’s exactly what it looked like. The younger brother following in the older brother’s footsteps, wanting to be as close as possible. He knew she meant well and he appreciated it, but it didn’t make him feel any better knowing the truth behind his choice to join the MC and what was going on behind the scenes. Even still he smiled, feeling drawn to her warm and understanding nature.

He wanted to stay away, to let her start her new life in this town without any drama, but he couldn’t deny the slight crush that he had on her that seemed to grow each and every time he interacted with her. It was how patient she was, how she tried to see the positive in everything, how she tried to uplift those around her. He enjoyed her company and was about to ask her if she’d like to get lunch with him sometime when his burner rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he cursed and looked up at her.

“Sorry, I gotta take this.”

“No, no, go ahead. Don’t worry about it.”

EZ flipped open the phone and didn’t get to say hello before Angel was talking.

“I need you to wrap up whatever you’re doing and come by Pop’s. We gotta handle some shit tonight.”

Angel’s words were very vague and may not have made sense to anyone else that heard them, but EZ knew more or less what those words meant and he nodded, Camila ignoring his conversation and looking over at a baby in a stroller that was waving to her with a smile.

“Yeah, ok. I’ll be right there.”

EZ flipped the phone closed and Camila looked back over.

“Sorry, I gotta go.”

Camila waved her hand in dismissal, swirling the little bit left in the bottom of her cup.

“That’s fine. I’m almost done. Go ahead. I’ll see you around.”

EZ stood and pushed his chair in, looking down at her with a bashful look, deciding to try his luck.

“I was serious about getting lunch one of these days.”

Camila nodded and looked down at the table to hide the goofy smile that came to her face before looking back up.

“I’ll be here.”

EZ grinned brightly, his smile squinting his eyes.

“I’ll see you.”

“Cuidate.”

He nodded and turned around, heading out of the bookstore as Camila swallowed the last sip of her coffee. Grabbing her purse, she stood and tossed the empty cup into the trash, walking back up the front desk where Mr. Salvatore still sat. He looked up from a notebook as he felt her come up.

“Hello there, sweetheart.”

“Hey, Sal.”

“Even on your day off, you stop by.”

The two laughed and she looked out the window as EZ pulled off.

“What was EZ looking for when he came in? New books?”

Mr. Salvatore stared at her for a moment before smiling at his newest employee.

“He was looking for you, my dear.


	4. Chapter 4

“Thank you so much!”

Camila smiled as the middle schooler thanked her, his mom standing behind and thanking her too.

“He hasn’t stopped talking about this comic book since it came out. Everywhere we’ve gone it’s been sold out and on back order.”

The child was already nose deep in the book, not paying any attention to the adults as they spoke. The mom patted her son on the shoulder and gave Camila a thankful look.

“Now maybe tonight I can finish my glass of wine in peace without having to keep checking if Books A Million has restocked.”

Camila laughed with the woman lightly and waved as they walked away, leaving the store. Turning, Camila picked up the cardboard box and walked to the back right of the bookstore, placing the box down on the stool there. She began to pull the books from the box and look them over, placing them along the shelf where they belonged. She hummed to herself quietly as she did, mindlessly stocking the books until one in particular caught her eye. She held the paperback in her hands, looking over the cover and taking it in.

_One Second After_

She flipped the book over and began reading over the summary before turning it back over onto it’s front once more.

“That’s a good one. Gets pretty dark at times, but it’s good.”

Camila looked up and over towards her left, a soft smile coming to her lips as he saw EZ standing there, leaning against the tall bookshelf. He smiled as well as she locked eyes with him, his body pushing off the shelf and walking over to her. She noticed he wasn’t wearing his kutte, a simple white tee on his frame. She looked over the book once more and tucked it under her arm, beginning to grab more books from the box to finish stocking.

“What’re you doing here?”

EZ shrugged and watched her stock 3 more books before sticking his own hands into the box, pulling them out and handing them to her.

“You get off at 12:30 for lunch, right?”

Camila looked over with an arched eyebrow at his words. She didn’t remember telling him her schedule. He simply blushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I may have asked Sal when you get out so I can take you out.”

Camila nodded and looked down, letting her hair fall into her face to cover the dopey smile that she couldn’t will away. EZ noticed it anyway and didn’t feel nearly as embarrassed. He put his hand back down and crossed them over his chest once more.

“You ok for lunch today?”

Camilla nodded and looked back over towards him.

“Help me finish stocking these and we can head out.”

The two made small talk as Camila finished stocking the new books, her asking about his brother and dad, him asking about her garden. She finished up and looked back towards him, walking with him back to the front of the store. Stopping she cursed, pointing EZ to the front desk.

“Shit, I forgot to grab my purse. I’ll meet you up there.”

She turned away from him and took a step to head toward the break room but stopped as she felt a soft grip at her wrist. Looking back at EZ, she found him smiling warmly at her.

“My treat. Please.”

Camila hesitated, never having been one to feel comfortable with having others pay for things for her. She knew he meant well though and relented, pointing at him.

“Fine. Next time I pay though.”

The Mayan nodded and held his hands up, a grin on his face as he walked with her the rest of the way to the front of the bookstore. As they got to the door, Camila smiled at Mr. Salvatore, him returning it as he watched them.

“Getting lunch?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be back by 1.”

The older man shook his head, tossing her a wink.

“Take an extra 30.”

She looked down bashfully, thankful for his generosity and made a mental note to bring him a treat when she came back. EZ walked forward and pressed his hand on the door, pushing it open for her to walk through. Camila sighed as she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, a low whistle from the old man catching EZ’s attention. Mr. Salvatore leaned forward and cupped his hand around his mouth as he whispered.

“She likes chocolate.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That chicken really was good.”

EZ nodded, wiping buffalo sauce from the corner of his mouth as Camila sat back some in her seat, looking at EZ. There was a couple of seconds of comfortable silence before EZ spoke.

“So, what do you have growing in your garden? Other than the bell peppers and the tomatoes?”

EZ didn’t miss the twinkle that came to Camila’s eyes as she spoke.

“I’ve got a couple of different plants going. Tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, squash, green onions, red onions, potatoes. My potatoes are still tiny though. They take a while to get to full size.”

Camila hesitated as she contemplated what she was about to say, opting to just ask anyway.

“Felipe said that your mom used to garden…”

EZ’s smile wavered a bit before he recovered, a genuine smile coming back to his face.

“Yeah, she did. Flowers and plants. She had some sunflowers, roses, tulips, lilies. Stuff like that. She tried to grow tomato plants but they died like 4 times. She just kinda gave up on it after a while.”

EZ laughed softly and Camila did too, loving the happiness that she could feel coming off of him as he spoke about his mother.

“We always had fresh flowers in the house and at the shop. Once she was gone…pop didn’t take care of the garden so everything just kinda withered away. I haven’t seen a garden in…years now.”

Camila, swallowed tightly, ever the empath. She could feel the sorrow now, the air getting thick just like when she had given Felipe the vegetables and she plastered on a smile, trying to make the mood positive once more.

“Well, I’m sure it was beautiful when she had it. I can show you mine one day. I have plans to plant a papaya tree but I’ll need some help when I do.”

She didn’t ask, not wanting to push. She’d rather leave the invitation open and allow him to accept. He smiled and nodded, looking at her intently.

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Just let me know when.”

They both looked up as the elderly waitress came back over, smiling down at them.

“Got room for dessert?”

Camila nodded excitedly and grabbed the dessert book that was there, beginning to look over it. She was stopped by EZ grabbing it from her hands and handing it back over to the waitress.

“She’ll have the molten chocolate espresso cake and I’ll have a piece of New York cheesecake.”

Camila’s eyes lit up at the dessert and the older woman laughed at her reaction.

“He picked a good choice for you.”

She took the menus and began to head back to the kitchen, EZ giving a hearty laugh at the excitement that was still on Camila’s face in anticipation of the dessert.

“That sounds so good.”

“It does.”

“Did Mr. Salvatore tell you I like chocolate?”

EZ winced and then nodded.

“Yeah. But I remember you having a mocha latte at the shop too if that helps make it less weird.”

The sound of Camila’s laugh gave EZ a warm feeling and he beamed at her. His eyes locked in on her hand as it reached across the table to grasp his forearm in her laughter. She released his arm pretty quickly but he could still feel a tingle on his arm where her hand had been. Her hand was warm, her touch soft. EZ had been with a few girls since he’d gotten released, mainly Vicki’s girls if he was being honest. She wasn’t the first girl to touch him, but she was the first girl in a while that could make his mouth go dry with a touch. She was the first girl in a while that was able to get his mind off of the bullshit that was occurring in his personal life. He felt bad, not wanting to get her attached to him and involved with him just to disappoint her with the drama of both the club and his home, but he couldn’t help enjoying her company, loving that for the first time in a long time he only thought about the present, not his past or what he was going to do in the future. Camila could tell that he was caught in his thoughts and tilted her head to the side as she eyed him.

“You ok?”

He nodded quickly and gave her that smile that made her face feel hot.

“I’m great.”

“God that was so good. Thanks, Ezekiel.”

“You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me take you out.”

Camila nodded and started walking alongside him slowly, heading back to the bookstore. They still had 20 minutes before she was due back at work and she intended on making the most of it. EZ walked with her, grabbing her softly by the elbow and pulling her to the right side and leaving himself on the left, by the road. He noticed the small smile as she looked over at him and he shrugged.

“Habit, I guess. Pops always did it, so I do it now.”

Camila shook her head, playfully leaning over to knock her shoulder into his.

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

The two shared a laugh and continued to walk down the sidewalk at a snail’s pace, just enjoying the other’s company. Every now and then EZ would glance over at Camila, just to find her already looking at him and they would laugh, looking away. Before long, they came up to the entrance of the bookstore and came to a stop, EZ slipping his hands into his pockets. He bounced on his feet for a moment as she looked up at him, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“Thanks again for lunch and dessert.”

“It’s no problem. We gotta do it again. Next time dinner?”

Camila nodded, her hickory eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

“I’d really like that, EZ.”

The Mayan nodded as well, looking off to the side to try and conceal his grin. He didn’t have to try hard though as his eyes locked in on a truck parked up ahead, familiar eyes watching him. He looked back at Camila quickly and placed a hand on her shoulder, maneuvering her softly towards the bookstore door and away from the view of his admirer.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I gotta get something done now but I’ll stop in and we’ll see about getting dinner.”

Camila grinned and allowed him to nudge her inside, completely oblivious to the eyes watching the two of them. She walked inside and waved goodbye to him, EZ returning it before turning and walking briskly down the street towards the parked truck. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries, trading the soft-spoken endearing voice he had just been using with Camila for a sharp and cold one.

“What the fuck you doing here KJ?”

The agent shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes still peering at the entrance of the bookstore where Camila had been standing.

“Who’s the girl, cuz?”

EZ brought his hands up to the car and grasped the door along the edge where the window was rolled down, his knuckles white.

“Don’t worry about who she is. It’s none of your business who she is. Now, what the fuck do you want? You said you were gonna quit this sneaking around and stalking shit.”

His cousin shook his head, an arrogant smile on his face.

“I’m not stalking anyone. I’m just keeping an eye on my town and my cousin. Is that a crime?”

EZ’s jaw twitched as he clenched it, yanking his hands off of the door and pointing a finger at KJ as he leaned his head in through the open window.

“Don’t come around unless you have something important to say. And stay the fuck away from her.”

KJ himself bristled and lost the smirk at the coldblooded look that showed up in EZ’s eyes and held his hands up.

“Fine. She’s off limits.”

EZ nodded, his eyes burning into KJ for a couple of seconds more before he pulled away entirely, trudging over further down the street before going into Felipe’s shop. As soon as he walked in, Felipe could tell there was something wrong with EZ. His younger son went and walked through the store to the back, leaning against the wall as he waited for his father to finish up with his current customer. He heard his father talking, saying goodbye and the rustling of bags before he walked to the back to join his son, his brow knitted in concern.

“What’s wrong, EZ?”

His son shook his head furiously.

“Fucking KJ. We agreed everything would be private and not obvious. That we would talk here. Instead, he’s sitting parked out there watching me with Camila for who knows how long. She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

Felipe eyed his son, thinking before he spoke to choose his words carefully.

“So, are you more upset about him watching you or that he knows about her?”

EZ stayed quiet, turning the question over in his head. Felipe took his silence as an answer.

“You’re upset because you don’t want her involved.”

“She won’t be involved if he just sticks to the plan and minds his business.”

Felipe sighed and ran a hand over his face before looking his son in the eyes.

“Her being involved doesn’t have anything to do with him. The only thing that is going to get her involved is her being involved with you. That’s it.”

EZ huffed but nodded, knowing that his father was speaking the truth.

“You have to figure out what you want. With her and with the future. You need to figure out if you really want something with her and how to make it work. Don’t drag that girl into this mess without letting her have a choice.”

EZ looked down as he was scolded, feeling like a child again and nodded. Felipe reached up and ran a hand along his son’s head, leaning down to kiss the top of it.

“She’s a smart girl. She’ll know if you’re lying to her. So, figure out what you’re going to tell her and how much of it.”

Looking up, EZ locked eyes with his father, acknowledging that he’d heard what he said and understood. Felipe nodded, patting his son’s head and took a deep breath before letting it out and dropping his shoulders some.

“Now how was your date?”


	5. Chapter 5

“So, two cafés con leche to go?”

Camila nodded as the barista read her back her order and pulled her card out from her purse.

“Will that be all?”

“Can I get some extra sugar packets?”

The girl reached over and dropped 4 packets into her hand along with her receipt.

“It will be about 5 minutes.”

“No problem. I’ll go talk to Mr. Salvatore while I wait.”

The barista smiled and nodded as Camila walked away, heading over towards the bookstore part of the shop and to Mr. Salvatore who sat at the front desk as usual. He looked up from his calendar when he heard her approaching, his warm smile showing up as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

* * *

 

“Still here, sweetheart? It’s already break time.”

She smiled as she looked at the old man, leaning down to rest her elbows on the desk.

“I’m just ordering some coffee to take with me. I’m gonna meet someone for lunch.”

“Ezekiel.”

Mr. Salvatore gave a knowing smile as she laughed and shook her head.

“Not today. His dad. I bought him a coffee.”

“You and Ezekiel though. Any more dates?”

Camila shook her head and followed it with a shrug.

“Not any set up so far. We did talk about dinner though so maybe soon.”

Her boss smiled as he listened to her talk, the lightness in her voice as she tried to conceal a smile. He remembered when he was her age and dating, getting to know new people and exploring adult life.

“So, no wedding yet.”

Camila threw her head back with a hearty laugh, Mr. Salvatore joining in eventually. They both laughed for a moment before Mr. Salvatore began to cough violently, doubling over and trying desperately to catch his breath. Camila’s laughing ceased immediately and she quickly walked around the front desk to place a hand on his back, leaning down to look at him.

“Mr. Salvatore? You ok?”

The older man continued to cough for a couple of seconds more before he was able to get it under control, standing back up straight and taking deep breaths. Camila watched him, seeing how red his face had become in his struggle. She wrapped an arm around him and helped him take a seat, her dark eyebrows knitted in concern as she kept an eye on him.

After catching his breath, he nodded, reaching over to pat her hand in reassurance.

“I’m fine, my dear. Just a little coughing attack. I get them sometimes.”

Camila nodded, unconvinced. She knew he had heart problems, and the cough reminded her of her Abuelo’s before he had passed. Complications of left sided heart failure. She decided to let it go though and simply rubbed a hand along his bony back.

“I’m fine, honestly. Go enjoy your break.”

Just as he finished talking, the barista called out Camila’s name, Mr. Salvatore pushing her away softly with a smile.

“Go. Tell Felipe I said hello.”

Camila nodded with reluctance and a fleeting glance, walking away from Mr. Salvatore and back over to the counter of the café grabbing her coffees. She walked up to the door and gave her boss one last look before pushing the door open with her back and walking outside. As soon as she made it out, her hair whipped around her face, getting caught in her lip gloss as the wind blew. It was a welcome change from the blistering heat these last couple of days and she smiled to herself as she walked down the sidewalk, heading towards the carniceria. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ll bring some tomatoes next time I swing by.”

Felipe nodded and took another sip of his nearly gone coffee. He’d loved the tomatoes Camila had dropped off for him last time, juicy and firm, a freshness that he hadn’t tasted in a long time. They’d established somewhat of a bartering system it would seem since they’d gotten to know each other. He would give her the pieces of meat that were left over after butchering everything up that wouldn’t sell, and she brought him fruits and vegetables from her garden. Neither of them would accept money from the other and in time this was just a routine they had fallen into.

Today’s meeting had been random and unplanned, Camila deciding out of the blue to buy coffees and spend her lunch break there with Felipe. She had about 10 minutes left of her break before she had to head back to the bookstore when the front door of the Carniceria opened, interrupting their conversation. She had her back to the door and figured that Felipe was going to have to get up to tend to the customer. The look in his eyes as he looked at whoever had entered said something was up though and she turned around to get a look. She didn’t recognize the man, never having recalled seeing him before. It was clear that Felipe did though and with as good as Camila was at reading people, she could tell the man wasn’t someone Felipe was happy to see. Felipe’s jaw was tight and tense, and he stood up slowly.

“What can I get for you?”

“Not sure yet. Just getting a look at what you have.”

She eyed the man as well, him not really paying much attention to Felipe as he looked at her with a soft smile. Felipe reached out and placed a hand on Camila’s shoulder softly, guiding her towards the door of the shop. He felt bad seeing the confused look in her eyes, but he didn’t want her in there with him. EZ had said he wanted to keep her separate from the drama of their life and as always, Felipe was prepared to help his youngest son with whatever he could. He didn’t want Camila to feel like he was kicking her out, but he didn’t want her there either. Besides, he knew she was a smart girl and figured she would understand.

“You gotta get going mija, get back to work.”

Camila checked her watch, still having a bit of time left but she could feel the tension in the air and trusted Felipe, giving him a nod.

“Ok Felipe.”

She leaned up, pressing her lips to his cheek, whispering softly for only him to hear.

“Call me at the store in a little bit.”

Felipe didn’t respond but she knew he’d heard her by the slight squeeze he gave her side. Pulling away, she grabbed her bag and turned towards the door, about to leave. She was nearly there when the man spoke to her

“Hi. Camila, right?”

Camila paused, knowing for a fact that she hadn’t even met much let spoken to this man to tell him her name. She smiled anyway and gave a nod, looking over his features to memorize them.

“And you are? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Kevin. Family friend of the Reyes’.”

Camila nodded and gave her most convincing smile. She didn’t know this man but family or not, something about him rubbed her the wrong way and she was keeping her guard up. With one last look at Felipe she pushed the door open and headed back to the bookstore to finish off the rest of her shift and wait for Felipe’s call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly 15 minutes later, and Felipe had yet to call her, Camila standing at the front desk by the phone. She felt that Felipe could handle himself if need, but she didn’t feel any less worrisome at the thought of leaving him there with someone he clearly didn’t trust much. She had just turned away from the desk and was starting to head to dusk the shelves when the bell to the front door dinged, EZ walking through with Angel. They both smiled as they saw her, walking towards her as she met them halfway.

“Hola.”

EZ motioned to the duster that Camila was holding.

“We didn’t interrupt you, did we?”

Camila shook her head, brushing away the piece of hair that fell in front of her eye.

“Nope. I was just gonna go dusk real quick.”

Camila hesitated as she was about to begin speaking, not wanting to make it seem that she was overstepping her boundaries. After a moment, she decided against asking about Felipe and the man, sure that she was just over thinking. With a smile and a shrug, she placed the duster down and motioned to the store.

“Did you guys come for books or?...”

“EZ wanted to come see you. I just tagged along.”

EZ tossed his shoulder into Angel’s roughly, a nervous laugh coming from him as Angel just stood there, head high and a proud smile on his face from his baby brother’s embarrassment. The three of them laughed quietly and Angel started to head towards the café, motioning to both her and EZ.

“You kids behave.”

EZ rolled his eyes as Angel walked away, smiling down at Camila.

“Sorry about him.”

With a shake of her head, Camila gave a half smile.

“I don’t mind him. That’s what big brothers are for right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Maybe you can have him.”

There was a slight moment of silence, Camila picking up the duster once more and motioning for EZ to follow her.

They talked about random stuff, EZ helping Camila to dust by lifting books from the shelf so she could get under them. It didn’t take her long to finish up and they both went back to the front of the store to see Angel sitting at one of the tables up front sipping at a coffee, two more cups in a holder in front of him. He looked up as he saw them coming and patted the table. Camila smiled winced.

“I’d love to sit and chill with you guys, but I already took my break.”

Angel looked around with an arched eyebrow, motioning to the nearly empty store.

“This place is like a ghost town right now. You’ll be good.”

EZ nodded and smirked as he looked over at his brother.

“And if anyone says anything, you can just tell them that you were teaching Angel how to read.”

The older brother gave a mocking laugh, reaching over to punch EZ in the chest. Camila shook her head but still engaged in the laughter feeling like she was back at home, horsing around with her family. Taking a seat, next to EZ of course, Camila grabbed one of the coffees and took in a deep breath of the aroma.

“This is literally my third cup of the day. I had one this morning before I came to work then I had another on my lunch break with your dad. Now this one.”

Both the Reyes brothers looked at Camila in surprise.

“You were hanging out with Pops?”

She nodded and leaned back in her chair, giving them both a playful smile.

“Yeah, why? You think I only hang with you two? Felipe even showed me how the meat slicer thing works.”

Angel looked down at his coffee with raised eyebrows, cocking his head to the side.

“Well damn. Nothing says friendship like showing you how to use the new meat slicer.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila ran her fingers through the front of her hair once more, ruffling it up to give it some more body. She smoothed her hands down the front of her blush pink blouse, looking down at the beige heels with gold trimming that matched her khakis in the mirror and wondering if they were too much. Looking over at the clock she felt the butterflies take off in her stomach once again.

6:24 PM

She had six minutes to get it together before EZ arrived. It was their first time going out to dinner together and the last thing she wanted was to make him wait on her. She grabbed her purse and headed to the living room, knowing that if she stayed in her room any longer, she would end up changing something else about her outfit for the thousandth time. She took a seat on her couch, taking a couple of deep breaths to steady her nerves. Sure, she had been on dates before, to the bowling alley or maybe to a sports bar. She’d never been on a date like this though. A date where the person taking her had made reservations nearly a week in advance just to get in. She’d tried to convince EZ otherwise, that they didn’t need to go anywhere fancy or high end, that she’d be happy to go anywhere. EZ had then said that was the exact reason why he was taking her somewhere nice, because she didn’t ask for much even when she deserved it. That had brought a decent bashful smile to her face and she’d relented, telling him she’d be willing to go wherever he wanted to take her.

Now here she was, minutes away from him getting to her house and she realized just how excited she was. Happy that she had met someone that was so nice and caring, someone that was polite and helpful. Someone that she felt she could trust. Camila had always been told that she was an excellent judge of character and she hoped that rang true this time as well. Shutting off the tv, she could hear the distant rumbling of his Harley and it was then that she realized.

“Shit! I can’t ride a bike in fucking heels.”

Her collected composure shattered once again and before long, she could hear his bike in her driveway. She wobbled back and forth, torn between what she should do and next thing she knew, EZ was ringing her doorbell. She walked up and unlocked the door, pulling it open to see EZ standing there, all smiles in an olive-green Henley shirt, no kutte. His eyes locked on her and he looked over her face, over her outfit and suddenly she felt self-conscious shying away from his gaze a bit.

“I knew it was too much. Let me go change real quick and I’ll be right back, I swear it will take me like two seconds, just- “

“You look perfect.”

His words cut off her rambling and a bashful smile slowly made its way across her lips.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. You look beautiful.”

Camila pointed down at her shoes with a wince.

“These aren’t gonna work though, are they? I figured maybe I could go in my car this time?”

EZ nodded, giving a soft laugh.

“Yeah that’s probably best.”

Camila grabbed her car keys and her purse, walking out of the house with EZ. She walked up to the driver’s side door and looked over to see EZ already looking back at her with a smirk.

“Yeah, those shoes are way too nice to ride in. Don’t want one falling off.”

“God that would suck.”

EZ agreed with a laugh.

“I’ll ride in front, lead the way.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila nodded happily, climbing into her car as EZ started up his bike.

“And that’s the story of the third time Angel almost burnt our house down.”

Camila dabbed at the corner of her eye with her knuckle, trying to wipe away the tears from her laughter without messing up her mascara. Her and EZ’s laughs settled down some and soon enough they were just walking down the sidewalk towards the parking lot in silence. EZ looked over at her for a moment before he held his arm out to her. Camila wrapped her left arm loosely around his bicep, a demure smile on her face as she did. EZ looked away and focused his gaze forward, a smile coming to his face as well just from seeing hers. The date had gone perfectly, no awkwardness or issues. EZ was rusty after his time in prison, that was no secret, but with Camila he felt comfortable. She made him feel normal and happy, and after the things that he had been through in his life, happiness was truly all he wanted.

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Ezekiel.”

Looking back over at her, he squeezed his arm around hers for a moment, his eyes holding that same almost childish wonderment as hers.

“So did I, Cam. Can I call you that? Is that cool?”

Camila hesitated for a moment, no one having ever called her that before. She smiled anyway and nodded, liking that it would be her nickname just between them.

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

They fell quiet again and before long they were at their row in the parking lot, his bike parked right beside her Jeep. Both were reluctant to pull away from each other but did anyway, EZ’s hands coming down to slip into his pockets while Camila’s held her purse in front of her.  

“Thanks for taking me out EZ. Everything was beautiful. The food, the lights, the dessert,”

“You.”

EZ filled in as she trailed off and he gave a smirk as he made her blush for the tenth time that night. Slowly but surely, he was starting to feel like he was getting his game back. He reached forward and swiped his thumb across her chin where some of her lipstick had transferred, his fingertip lingering on her skin for a second before he pulled away, clearing his throat. She looked down at her shoes for a moment and then looked back up, a G Wagon pulling into the parking lot and parking in the row across where you were.

“Maybe we could do this again?”

He looked back over at you and smiled, nodding.

“Only if you ride with me next time.”

Camila agreed, pointing down at her heels.

“I’ll bust out the Cortez’s next time.”

“That will definitely be better.”

They both looked over to their left, a blonde woman getting out of the Mercedes, and going into the backseat, getting a baby out from his car seat.  Camila looked back at EZ, the strangers not really calling her attention anymore. EZ on the other hand still had his eyes glued to the woman and baby, an unreadable look in his eyes before he quickly pushed his attention back to Camila. He wasn’t looking for long, not even enough to be considered staring, but Camila could still tell there was something he was drawn to and in her head, she conjured up that maybe after losing his mom, he liked to see mothers with their children. Maybe he wondered if the woman needed help. Maybe he thought the baby was cute. Or maybe he just found her attractive. The latter thought wasn’t very comforting though, especially not while they were on a date. EZ gave Camila a smile and she returned it, nodding over towards the woman who was now making her way towards the restaurant entrance.

“Who’s that?”

EZ shook his head, looking down for a moment before he looked back up and pushed a smile.

“Don’t know. Cute kid though.”

Camila nodded in agreement and felt her discomfort settle. First date and she was already feeling the caress of jealousy. Relaxing, now knowing that he wasn’t checking out another woman on their date, she took a step back and unlocked her car, pulling the door open.

“I’ll see you around, Ezekiel.”

EZ felt warm as she said his name, her accent coming through, the syllables sliding off her tongue like honey and almost immediately he forgot about Emily. Camila got in and turned over the engine, EZ climbing onto his bike and fastening his helmet as she backed out of the parking space and drove off with a wave, leaving EZ to drive off with a head full of thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

“You should invite her to the clubhouse for the party this weekend. Show her around the place, your life you know.” 

EZ nodded, taking another swig of beer as he looked forward, Angel doing the same, both sat on the couch in their father’s home. 

“I just don’t know if it’s too early. We’ve only been on a couple of dates. She knows about the MC but I just…I don’t know.” 

Angel knitted his brows as he looked at his baby brother. 

“You don’t know what? She likes you, you like her, she makes you happy and she’s accepted that you’re in the club. What’s the problem?”

EZ stayed quiet, wishing that he could confide in his brother and tell him the truth. Tell him that he didn’t want to drag her into the mess, that he didn’t want her getting tangled up in the cartel and the club and the DEA deal, but of course that was a secret that he couldn’t share. Not with Angel. So EZ shrugged, coming up with an excuse. 

“I just don’t wanna move too fast. Soon.” 

Angel nodded silently, feeling like there was something his brother wasn’t telling him, but he left it alone. He figured he was probably still trying to get back into the swing of things and move on from the situation with Emily. Angel would be happy when he finally moved on and allowed himself to be happy, but until then, he would support his brother no matter what he chose. Both boys stood up as Felipe called out to them, telling them lunch was ready and they headed to the kitchen to grab their plates. 

They ate together as a family, making small talk about the club and the shop and before long they had finished up, Angel saying that he had to get going, him and Coco having plans. The older brother left after saying goodbye, EZ and Felipe there together along when they began talking, Felipe filling EZ in on what had happened that day at the shop when KJ had shown up and Camila was there. 

“He came in before I could get her out. We were talking and I wasn’t paying attention. He knew her name. She played it off well but she’s a smart kid. It was obvious she was uneasy at him knowing her. I got her out quickly, but he still saw her, with me having lunch. He’s going to know that she’s close with us now. You need to figure out what you’re doing with her. If you want something serious, tell her. If not…end it. But you can’t have both Ezekiel. You’re already living with enough secrets. She can’t be another one.” 

EZ nodded silently, biting at the inside of his cheek as he listened to his fathers’ words. He knew he was right. He needed to decide what he wanted. If he wanted Camila just as a friend or if he wanted her as something more. Felipe could see the war waging behind his son’s eyes, and he reached over to drop a comforting hand onto his shoulder, squeezing softly. 

“Whatever you choose, I’m behind you mijo. Don’t forget that.”

Felipe pulled his son further into him, pressing a kiss to the top of EZ’s head, a soft smile coming to his lips. 

“I really like her pops.”

The older man smiled in return and nodded his head at his son in agreement. 

“So do I.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Long time no see.”

Camila looked up from the stack of books in front of her to see the older Reyes brother standing in front of her and another man she hadn’t seen before, shaggy dark hair and a kutte as well.  Camila smiled at the two men, looking back at Angel. 

“What’s up?” 

Angel shrugged looking around the bookshop. 

“Oh nothing, just checking in.”

Camila eyed him with a smirk, waiting for him to continue, which he did leaning down to rest his forearms on the counter. 

“And I may have also come by to invite you to a party we’re having this weekend. EZ wanted to come and tell you himself but he got a little busy, so he sent me.” 

Angel gave a grin and Coco did as well, knowing full well that was a lie and playing along.

 “It’ll be cool, you should come.”

Angel nodded, pointing over at Coco with his thumb. 

“This is Johnny, we call him Coco.” 

The other Mayan reached his hand out for Camila to shake and she did with a smile as did he.

“I’m Camila.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Angel watched the interaction and smiled, speaking again. 

“So, the party will start this Friday, around 8 PM. It isn’t anything crazy, just a little get-together. Music, food, drinks, dancing, playing pool, just chilling. Wear whatever.”

“That sounds cool. I haven’t really done anything fun since I moved here. I’ll be there.”

 Angel grinned and slapped his hand on the countertop, standing up straight. 

“Cool. Take my number so you can call, and we’ll let you in.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EZ took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke through his nose as he looked around, his eyes settling on his brother who sat across the table from him, a girl in his lap grinding down to the rhythm of the music. He rolled his eyes and called out to him. 

“What the hell am I waiting for Angel. I’ve been sitting here for 15 minutes waiting for my ‘surprise’.” 

Angel looked away from the girl in his lap, a smirk on his lips as he looked at EZ. 

“Just be patient baby brother. She’ll be here soon.”

EZ knitted his eyebrows in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened. 

“You didn’t.”

Angel laughed, hands gripping the girl’s waist. 

“Oh, but I did. Already ran it by Bish. He’s cool.”

EZ was about to lay into him when Angel’s phone rang, him answering it with an obnoxious smile and looking dead at his brother. 

“You here Camila?”

EZ watched as Angel listened, nodding once before saying goodbye and hanging up, pointing over that the gate. 

“Go let your girlfriend in.” 

EZ snorted in disbelief but smirked nonetheless, unable to hide the satisfaction of hearing her being called his girl, even if she wasn’t. Yet. 

He stood from his seat and made his way over to the gate, pulling it open just as he saw her headlights driving up. Camila pulled in slowly and he pointed over to the corner where she could park, closing the gate behind her and walking over to her door, smiling as she stepped out. He looked her over, liking to see her in her regular clothes, not her work clothes or date clothes. Just jeans, a regular white tee, and pink Nike Cortez. EZ smiled immediately, opening his arms to her. Camila smiled as well and stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his middle. The two hugged for a moment before pulling apart, EZ resting his hand on the small of her back and guiding her over to where he had been sitting before. The girls that were there at the table looked at her suspiciously, but once they saw the smiles that came to both Angel and Coco’s face at the sight of her, they relaxed some and smiled softly as well. Camila locked eyes with Angel and waved, his throwing her a wink. 

“Glad you could make it. EZ wouldn’t stop talking about getting you to come over.” 

EZ made a mental note to kick Angel’s ass later, but for the time being, he would take it in stride, especially considering the bashful smile that came to her face. EZ tossed his arm around Camila’s shoulders and nodded towards the clubhouse. 

“Come on, let's get you a drink.” 

The two walked inside and EZ pointed over towards the bar, Tranq and Bishop sitting there talking. They looked over as the two walked up and smiled at Camila warmly. 

“Hi, sweetheart.” 

Bishop introduced himself to Camila, same as Tranq while EZ went and grabbed them both a beer. As he came back to stand at her side, he caught the end of Bishop’s sentence. 

“-nice to finally meet you.” 

Camila grinned and looked over at EZ as he handed her one of the beers. 

“Nice to meet you too. Thanks for having me.” 

Both Bishop and Tranq raised their glasses to her and she turned around walking with EZ. 

“They were nice.”

 EZ nodded and took a sip from his bottle, happy to see her comfortable. 

“Yeah, they are. Can I get you anything else?” 

Camila shook her head, smiling as EZ reached for her hand and began to lead her back outside. She noticed he was being touchier and while it gave her butterflies, she chucked it up to being purely possessive, making sure the people at the party knew she was there with him. It was different than she was used to, but she couldn’t deny that it made her feel a little giddy. They walked back outside, hand in hand and he softly maneuvered her in front of him to sit in the seat he was in before as he took the seat next to her. Coco smiled softly and nudged Gilly to get his attention, the girls also looking at the newcomer with friendly smiles. EZ knew it was all or nothing like his father had said and made up his mind, welcoming the new addition to his life.  

“This is Camila.”


	7. Chapter 7

Pairing: EZ Reyes x Camila

Warnings: None

Word count: 2.1k

“Entre, nena.”

Camila smiled as Felipe pushed the front door, holding it open for her as she walked in, both hands and arms occupied by the large basket she was holding.  She paused in front of him, reaching up on her toes slightly to press a kiss to his cheek. Walking in further, she placed the basket down onto the counter and blew out a breath, turning to face Felipe as he came up and peered into the wicker.

“Good harvest this month.”

Felipe nodded sincerely, eyes raking over all the produce that Camila had brought.

“I can see that. Beautiful. Good job, Camila.”

She smiled both proudly and bashfully, reaching into the basket and pulling out some tomatoes and cilantro, handing it over to him.

“My pumpkins aren’t big enough so that’s why I didn’t bring any this time but as soon as they are, I’ll bring you some of that too.”

Felipe nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, nena. I know. Thank you. This is more than enough.”

The smile on Camila’s face widened and she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, a comfortable silence falling over the two of them before Felipe motioned to the back of the shop.

“Café?”

Camila shook her head softly, pulling her hands out and holding them to her tummy.

“Just ate, I’m too stuffed.”

The older man nodded and acted nonchalantly.

“With Ezekiel?”

With a tilt of her head, she tried to conceal a smile.

“How’d you know?”

Felipe shrugged and tried to hide a smile of his own.

“He told me he was taking you out for lunch. Told me quite a few times actually.”

Camila stayed quiet at that, looking down at her sneakers and letting her hair fall in front of her face to block the sight of her cheeks going rosy. They had been on a few dates by now, lunch here, diner there, maybe an ice cream in between those, but it never failed to make her giddy when she heard he was talking about her, that he was excited to see her as she was him. She’d only been to the clubhouse once, but she’d had more fun than she’d had in a long time, drinking and laughing and making new friends. Everyone had treated her well, the girls being friendly and never making her feel unwelcome. It was Friday and there was going to be another party tonight, one that she had been invited to again and she figured that must’ve meant that she’d made a decent enough impression on EZ’s brothers.

Felipe went around the counter and picked up a tortilla that he had fried not 5 minutes before Camila had shown up, lifting it towards her with an arched eyebrow and knowing smirk. She groaned and threw her head back, stuffed but mouth still watering at the look of the fresh tortilla. With a curse, she relented, holding her hand out.

“Shit. I’ve never been one to turn down a tortilla, can’t start now.”

Camila dabbed at the corner of her eye, soaking up the tear with a napkin from how hard she had been laughing. Gilly was finally done with his story about the time that Angel had tried to prank Coco by shutting off the water in the kitchen in their apartment, only to accidentally break the plumbing, flood the kitchen and give himself a concussion when he had slipped and fallen in the water, Gilly providing a hilariously dramatic roleplay of the event much to Angel’s embarrassment who had gone off somewhere outside to smoke. The laughter had died down and people had gone back to their business, Creeper making out with a girl in his lap while Tranq and Coco sat talking and smoking together. Camila settled back into the couch, looking around and taking in the décor of the clubhouse.

“Want another beer?”

Camilla looked up as she heard Angel’s voice and shook her head with a smile, lifting her half-empty beer bottle to him.

“I still got.”

Angel nodded and threw her a smile as well, plopping himself down onto the sofa next to her and tossing his arm around her shoulders lazily.

“So, how’s it going at the bookstore?”

“Good. Honest work, not too hard, and I like that environment so,”

Camila shrugged as she looked at the older Reyes brother.

“Not a bad deal.”

Angel nodded in agreement and looked around the clubhouse.

“Sal’s a good man. Helped EZ out a lot when he first got out. Not everyone wants to give you a chance when they know you got a record. Some people don’t give you much opportunity, but he gave EZ one. We knew him when we were younger, kids even.”

Angel’s voice trailed off with a sense of nostalgia and Camila stayed quiet, smiling softly as she listened to him talk. She had picked up quickly that the Reyes men didn’t often speak of the past and when they did, it was best to let them and stay quiet, simply listening as they spoke of a different time. A happier time. Often one would make a comment that would pique her interest and the other would then fill her in a little more somewhere along the line. Camila’s mother had always told her that the smartest people are those that know how to listen. So she always did, and she had learned a fair amount about the family that had become the closest thing to her own out here.

“Him and dad knew each other so you know how that goes. He and that bookstore have been good to EZ. And so has a certain bookstore keeper.”

Camila laughed and shook her head as Angel raised both eyebrows and took a swing of his beer, looking at her over the bottle before bringing it down.

“Real cool chick that works there.”

Camila blushed and pushed her shoulder into Angel’s softly, both laughing.

“Glad you think so.”

They continued with the small talk until EZ walked in, late after having to do something for the club. What it was, he hadn’t told her, but he had told her that he would meet her at the clubhouse later and what mattered was that he had kept his word. Standing up, Camila smiled at him as Angel stood up beside her as well. He tossed an arm around EZ, tugging him into his chest and bumping his head into his in a show of brotherly affection before releasing him and heading over towards Gilly and Coco, leaving the two to themselves. They were all smiles as they looked at each other, EZ reaching forward to wrap an arm around her waist and bring her into him, her hands resting on his chest. He leaned down slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, loving the twinkle that she got in her eyes every time he did that. He’d made it somewhat of a habit the past 3 weeks that they’d been seeing each other. A kiss to the forehead here, one to the cheek there. He hadn’t gone for the lips yet, not wanting to push his luck. He hadn’t exactly asked her to be his girl yet, not sure when would be the best time. He wanted to take it slow, go at a steady pace. He was still figuring out how to assimilate back into society and she was still trying to find her footing in this new place and world. So he would take his time, seeing where they ended up. It’d be a lie if he said he didn’t imagine them together though.   

They stayed in that position for a moment, just in each other’s arms before pulling away, EZ speaking first.

“Sorry I was late. I just had to get something done real quick.”

Camila shook her head, showing she understood.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re here now.”

At that, EZ nodded, smiling down at her.

“Yeah, I am. Let’s go out to the front. Creeper’s fight is just starting.”

It was nearly two in the morning by the time everything had mostly died down, more than half of the people gone and only the members and a few girls left. Angel sat off to the side, a girl next to him as he leaned down whispering into her ear, Gilly passed out on the other couch, spilled bottle of beer on the floor where it had slipped out of his hand in his drunken slumber. In the corner though, Camila and EZ were still very much awake, though a little tired. Her eyes were closed, the side of her face resting against his chest, her arms around his neck and his around her waist as they swayed softly to the music in the background. The rock and reggaeton had been switched out for some more old school tracks at Taza’s request and the couple were content with that, slow dancing for who knows how long now. It was comfortable for them, the warmth of the other’s body, the intimacy that was still subtle. EZ was tired, eyes heavy and arms aching from having to dig a six-foot grave earlier in the day. Even still, he didn’t want to move, didn’t want to ruin the moment of having Camila relaxed and in his arms. He let his cheek rest on the top of her head and his eyes close, losing track of how long they stayed there like that slow dancing until he felt her pick her head up and look up at him through tired eyes.

“It’s late, I better get going.”

EZ nodded, knowing it was the truth but not being able to deny that he didn’t want the night to end. He smiled anyway as she brought her arms down from his neck and placed her hands down on his chest softly. He covered her smaller hands with his, squeezing them softly as he nodded over to the door.

“Let me walk you out.”

“Of course.”

He kept one of her hands in his and began to guide her out of the clubhouse and into the night air. Everyone had already gone back inside and all that could be heard was the sound of crickets, the faint howl of a coyote in the distance. The light from the moon shone bright enough to let them see and they walked all the way to Camila’s car in silence.

“You good to drive?”

Camila nodded, endeared by EZ’s concern.

“Yeah, I’m good. I only had 2 beers and I ate. Thank you.”

She unlocked the car and pulled the door open, standing in the gap and looking up at EZ.

“Thanks for inviting me again. I had a lot of fun.”

“Anytime.”

EZ’s smile was bright, truly happy that she had enjoyed herself at the clubhouse but most importantly, with him. She stayed looking at him for a couple of seconds and EZ could read both the tension and hesitation. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she lifted on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to his softly before quickly pulling back and placing her fingers over her lips.

“Sorry…sorry.”

EZ didn’t bother saying anything, simply reached over and took her chin in his fingers, pulling her closer to him until his lips met hers again, this time lingering. He kissed her once more, then again, an audible clink of metal as he pulled away and he released her face, looking down at her to gauge her reaction. He chuckled softly as he realized she had dropped her car keys into the dirt, flustered. He bent down and picked them up before handing them to her and placing his hand on the side of her face.

“Been wanting to do that for a while.”

Camila laughed breathlessly and leaned into his touch.

“Sorry I beat you to it.”

Neither of them said anything else about it, the sound of the clubhouse door opening behind them had EZ pushing her softly towards the car.

“You gotta get going, I don’t want you out too late.”

Camila nodded and hopped in, allowing EZ to close the door behind her.  He watched as she started the car up and began to pull out of the lot, watching until she was driving off before he turned around to head back inside. Up on the balcony stood both Angel and Coco, stupid grins on their faces as they looked at him, Angel smoking another cigarette while Coco spoke.

“Already whipped, prospect?”

 


	8. Chapter 8

“I was thinking, maybe you could come see the garden one of these days…”

Camila let her voice trail off, her hand playing with Ezekiel’s fingers across the café table as she kept her eyes trained down.  She didn’t want to pressure him, make him feel that he had to agree since she was looking at him. Avoiding his gaze, she also didn’t see the smile that he gave but she did feel the squeeze of his hand and she looked up to find him smiling at her.

“I’d love to. I know you said you had a papaya tree that you needed some help planting.”

Camila squinted her eyes and tilted her head with a grin.

“How the hell did you remember that?”

EZ smiled himself and shrugged, now playing with her fingers as she had been doing with his. 

“I have a really good memory. Photographic. I can’t really forget anything. It’s a blessing and a curse.”

Camila nodded at that in understanding.

“Ahh. Makes sense.”

There was a small silence before EZ spoke again.

“But yes, I’d love to go over and help you plant the tree. Just tell me when.”

“Maybe this evening? It won’t be so hot, and the dirt will be easier to move.”  

EZ drank the last of his coffee and pushed the cup to the side.

“I’ll be there. What’s the address?”

Camila recited it to him and then reached for her purse, ready to write it down for him when he tapped the side of his head with his index finger.  

“Good memory, remember?”

Camila laughed then and shrugged.

“That makes one of us.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wow.”

That was the only word that came to EZ’s mind as he looked around Camila’s backyard. She had bashfully led him to the garden when he’d gotten there.

‘It’s not the best garden, but it’s mine.’ She had said. Except it was the nicest garden he had seen before because it was bright and warm and humble. Just like Camila. There was every color you could think of. The bright scarlet of the tomatoes plump as they hung on the intertwined branches in the pot off to the corner, the nearly florescent yellow of the lemons a stark contract in the green of the large tree against the fence they grew from, the orange of the pumpkins that were growing in the patch.  He looked at her with a smile and she motioned for him to explore. He walked along the path that was laid out in stones, looking into the rectangle garden beds, seeing all of the produce that was growing. The broccoli, the squash, the bell peppers in every color. He looked all around, taking everything in and he couldn’t help but think that maybe had his mom lived, maybe her garden would have one day looked like this. The thought made him smile and he turned back around, facing Camila.

“Let’s plant that tree.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EZ sipped at his glass of lemonade quietly and so did Camila, both standing inside and looking at the garden though the sliding doors while the sunset. The blues and purples and pinks and oranges. The tree was planted and EZ had even helped her pick a few weeds that were growing before she had brought him inside her home and shown him around. She had shown him the corner that she had turned into somewhat of a little library, the bookshelf half full, a comfortable burgundy recliner and coffee table arranged together. He had seen the little altar she had set up by the entrance to the hallway, pictures of her family that had passed on, small offerings laid on the glass with La Virgen overlooking it. EZ had walked up on instinct and of course done his ritual to her as he always did when leaving the clubhouse. Camila had looked on with a smile, the gentleness, and adoration with which he regarded the statue endearing. He’d then pointed to the four pictures and Camila had revealed. Abuela, tío, and primo. EZ had nodded and touched the frames of their pictures with the same gentleness.

Now they sat together, hand in hand in silence, enjoying the sunset. First five minutes had passed then ten and now the sky was all a dark blue, the sun long gone even as they sat enjoying each other’s company. It was the repeated ringing from EZ’s phone that pulled his attention back to the present and Camila let his hand go, allowing him to pull the phone from the pocket of his kutte. She reached over and grabbed for his empty glass as well as hers, standing and motioning towards the house.

“I’m gonna go wash these, let you take that.”

EZ nodded with a smile and watched as she headed inside, answering Angel.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Bishop wants us on a job tonight. Meet me at the clubhouse.”

EZ sighed, not wanting to leave Camila just yet, but he knew that saying no wasn’t an option. Whatever was asked of him, he would do it. His life and his freedom were banking on this club and he wouldn’t dare sabotage his chance.

“Yeah, ok. I’ll be there in 20.”

There was some silence on Angel’s side and when he spoke again, EZ could hear the grin in his voice.

“You’re with her, aren’t you?”

EZ chuckled and ran his hand over his head.

“Yeah, but I’ll be there. Just let me say goodbye.”

“Hope you used a condom.”

EZ didn’t bother answering back Angel, just hung up with a shake of his head and stood, tucking his phone back into the pocket that he took it out of. He opened the sliding door and stepped back into the house, taking a deep breath of the scent of vanilla that was all over her house. Closing the door behind him and locking it, he made his way into the kitchen and found her standing at the sink.  He smiled as he stood against the doorway, arms folded across his chest as he watched her. She could feel his eyes and she turned, looking back at him and smiling.

“What?”

EZ pushed himself off the wall and walked over towards her, wrapping his arms around from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as she ran the sponge along the mug.

“I gotta head out. The club needs me.”

Camila finished rinsing the mug and placed it to dry on the mat, turning in his arms and facing him with a smile.

“OK. Thanks for coming and spending time with me.”

She placed her hands flat on his chest and he leaned down to press a kiss to the tip of her nose. She wrinkled it and sniffled softly, earning a laugh from him.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer. I just, I gotta meet Angel.”

Camila nodded and patted his chest.

“Don’t be. I understand. Don’t worry about it.”

EZ looked down at her in adoration. They were still taking things slow, just enjoying getting to know each other more and more. She was his girl now, after he’d finally gotten the balls to ask. He’d opened up to her more and more slowly, about his mom, about his dad. He’s told her a bit about how he had gotten into reading when he was locked up. In turn, she had told him more about herself, from childhood memories to all the little things. He felt like he really knew her, already able to read her and understand what she meant even when she never said it directly. He, on the other hand, had much more to hide than her and he felt guilty at times, listening as she told him all about herself freely while he had so many secrets that he kept from her. She was smart and he was almost positive that she knew he was keeping things from her, but she never pressed, just gave him space and reassurance that she would always listen whenever he wanted to say anything. He thought back to what Felipe had said, about allowing himself to be happy, to move on and enjoy having something that he didn’t have to hide and enjoying it he was.

“Thank you, Cam. For everything lately.”

Camila gave a warm smile and removed her hands from his chest, reaching up with them to take his face in her hands.

“You’re welcome.”

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his then pulled away and ran her thumbs along his jawline.

“You gotta get going, remember?”

EZ nodded and looked down for a minute before smirking and leaning forward, kissing her again.

“One for the road.”

Camila rolled her eyes and laughed but he could still feel the bashfulness coming from her. He released her and she released him, hand on his back as she followed him out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Taking a step outside, EZ turned and looked back at her, eyes tired but happy as they looked at him.  

“Dad says he had some carne de res for you at the shop, pick it up sometime tomorrow.”

Camila nodded and waved as he made his way to his bike.

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

Camila waited until he had his helmet on and had pulled out of her driveway before she turned around and headed back inside, locking the door behind her. EZ looked both ways and then drove down the street, heading towards the clubhouse, neither of them noticing KJ parked against the curb at the end of the block. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I was told I had a gift to pick up.”

Felipe smiled as he heard Camila’s voice and turned around from sweeping. She stood there with a smile and he leaned the broom against the wall, reaching over to give her a hug. He wrapped on arm around her middle while she respectfully left a kiss on his cheek.

“You were told correctly.”

Felipe made his way towards the back of the show and motioned to her over his shoulder.

“Vente.”

Camila followed him to the freezer, waiting and looking around as he pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside, grabbing a plastic bag from the shelf.

“All cleaned and cut up for you.”

Camila gratefully took the bag from him and held it in both of her hands in front of her.

“Thank you, Felipe.”

“De nada, niña.”

Following him back out to the main part of the store, Camila placed her bag down on the table and looked back at him, a grin on her face.

“Do you like pie?”

Felipe blinked, not expecting her to have asked that nor the excitement she showed as she asked. Something told him that she enjoyed baking and so he nodded.

“I do.”

“What’s your favorite kind?”

He stayed quiet for a moment, thinking.

“I always did love the cherry pie that the boy’s mom used to make.”

Camila nodded, her smile still ever-present, but his word choice wasn’t lost on her. He did that often, distancing himself from memories when he spoke of them. Camila said nothing about it and simply exaggeratedly nodded her head once, lips pursed as she grabbed her bag once again.

“Then a cherry pie it is. Nos vemos.”

“Camila,”

She walked out of the store before the older man could protest and he grabbed his broom again with a chuckle and a shake of his head while Camila walked up the road to the bookstore to start her shift. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was thirty minutes to closing time when Camila heard the bell of the front door ding, a customer coming into the store. She was in the back by the boxes, organizing them and setting them aside so that she could stock the shelves.

“Camila, you have a customer.”

Sandra called out to her from the front desk and Camila knitted her brows, making her way back to the front, putting a smile on as she greeted the customer.

“Hi, what can I help you find?”

As soon as the man turned around from the new releases shelf and faced her, she remembered him. She tried not to let her smile falter, nor let her face show what her brain was thinking. He smiled at her as they made eye contact.

“Hi. I was actually looking for kids’ books. Bedtime stories specifically.”

Camila stayed quiet for a second, caught off guard by his request but she recovered quickly and motioned to the left side, taking a step.

“Over here.”

He was dressed differently this time, regular jeans and a white tee and she figured he was probably heading home.

“You have a family?”

Kevin nodded and smiled softly, looking at the various books that were there.

“You?”

“No, not yet.”

The conversation died off then and Camila cleared her throat, slowly walking back to the boxes.

“Well, I hope you find something good. Sandra will check you out in the front when you’re done.”

“Thanks, Camila.”

Her foot faltered as she took a step, looking back slightly as he said her name. He kept his gaze down, looking intently over the children’s books and Camila continued walking heading to the back of the store.

When he left, she wasn’t sure. She finished organizing the boxes and stocked the new books before going go the back and getting her things. She waved to Sandra and she clocked out and then headed out to her car, putting her things in the trunk before getting in, driving back to Felipe’s carniceria instead of heading home. Hopping out, she walked in and Felipe looked up, smiling at her as usual. It wavered as he looked at her though and even though she was trying to hide it, Felipe read her easily.

“What’s wrong?”

Camila shook her head, not wanting to come off sounded paranoid or nosey.

“Remember that guy that came here that time I was having lunch with you? Kevin?”

Felipe’s smile was gone entirely now, and he hesitated before nodding.

“Yeah.”

“He said he was a family friend. That true?”

Felipe stayed quiet again, this time for longer. He wasn’t sure what EZ had told her or what he wanted her to know, and he didn’t want to be the one to end up saying too much. Camila could sense his apprehension and winced, blowing out a breath.

“Perdoname, señor. I didn’t mean to stick my nose in your private life, I just…you seemed nervous with him when I was here last time. Is he…is he dangerous?”

Felipe shook his head. Truth was, KJ was more dangerous than anyone at the moment given EZs circumstances, but he knew what Camila meant. She wanted to know if he would hurt her.

“No. Why?”

Camila looked out the window then, not speaking for a couple of seconds.

“Because he came into the bookstore today, asked for me by name. I know it’s a not a big town, people run into each other often but when I was here that time, he knew my name before I had ever even met him. I don’t mean to offend you if he is close with you. I just…I don’t know.”

Felipe looked down as Camila laughed at herself, running a hand through her hair and tossing it over to one side.

“I know, I’m just being way too over observant. Making something out of nothing. I always do that. Lo siento.”

Looking back up, Felipe sighed and walked around the counter to stand in front of her. He looked at her intently and didn’t say anything for a while. Camila stood still, heart stammering as she wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries. Her and EZ were barely an item and now here she was, in his father’s shop, expressing distrust over a family friend that had been in the picture far longer than her. She looked down at her shoes, head bowed low in embarrassment.  

“I’m sorry, Felipe. Really. I didn’t mean to be rude. I-“

Camila stopped as Felipe held up his hand, silencing her.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Camila.”

He went to the front of the store and flipped the sign, the carniceria now closed before he turned and pointed to the chair there at the table.

“Sit. I’m gonna go make us some coffee.” 


	9. Chapter 9

“Relax, Ezekiel.”

Felipe’s voice was low as he spoke to his son, watching as he paced around the front of the shop.

“He promised. He said he would leave her out of it.”

Felipe sighed and shook his head, resting his hands on his knees as he took a seat at the small table.

“He’s an agent, Ezekiel. He’s building a case. He’ll say whatever he has to say to talk you down. Camila is new and he doesn’t know who she is or what she means to you yet. Anything that will give him more ammo for the case, he’s going to use it. He’s already seen how protective you are over her. She’s leverage.”

EZ said nothing, folding his hands together on top of his head and blowing out a harsh breath. Felipe patted the tabletop, motioning for EZ to join him and he did, heavily plopping himself down next to his father. Neither of them spoke for a moment, Felipe trying to figure out if he should say what he was thinking. He battled for a while, torn between keeping his mouth shut and letting his youngest figure things out on his own or giving advice and risking it possibly going wrong because of him. He struggled some more before shaking his head and softly leaning to push his shoulder into his son’s, drawing his attention.

“Remember what I said that day about you having to choose? About how once the two of you got together, there was going to be a time where you were going to have to figure out how much truth you were going to tell her?”

EZ looked at his father with worried eyes, brows knitted in concern as he nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Well now is the time. She already knows something’s up. She knows we’re keeping things from her. She’s not the type of woman to push and be nosey, but she isn’t the type to sit around in the dark either. There’s going to come a point where she’s going to start asking questions and you better be ready for it. You just need to figure out if your answers will be lies or the truth. Just know…once you start a relationship with lies, you can’t come back from that. Trust me, mijo.”

Felipe looked down then, the tiles of the carniceria suddenly becoming very interesting and the apprehension on EZ’s face only grew.

“I can’t tell her everything.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said you need to give her answers. This whole thing with the MC and the DEA, its messy, and having someone hanging in the balance that doesn’t know what’s going on will only make it messier. You and Camila need to sit down and have a talk. Feel her out. Just be careful what you say. The two of you are still new.”

EZ shook his head as he listened to his father’s words.

“She won’t rat me out. She may not want to deal with it but she’s not like that.”

Felipe looked his son in the eyes for a stretch before nodding.

“I hope you’re right, son.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila yawned as she stretched, placing her empty coffee mug into the sink. The sun was out but there was an overcast, dark grey clouds scattered across the sky and she knew she better go and check for mail before the rain came down. Walking toward the front door, she smiled at the largest picture on the shelf.

“Hola, Abuelita.”

Pulling open the door and stepping outside, she took a deep breath of the fresh air before grumbling at the blistering heat that they were getting. As she walked further out of the entranceway of the house, she could hear the sound of children laughing, high-pitched and full of joy and the sound brought a smile to her face. Once she was on the driveway, she looked over next door to see Eddy and Esperanza playing on a water slide on the front lawn, the siblings pushing and splashing each other. Camila got her mail and headed back up the driveway as she looked over and saw Elisa sitting on the porch as usual when the kids were out there. She smiled and waved as she locked eyes with Camila.

“Buenos días, Camila.”

“Buenos días, Señora. How’ve you been?”

The woman shrugged and gave a small laugh, motioning to the children.

“Hot. The kids wanted to use the new slide before it rained.”

Camila nodded in understanding, looking back up at the sky again.

“Viene pronto.”

Both women continued to look up at the sky, a bright bolt of lightning splitting and all four of them jumping at the loud crack that sounded shortly after. Elisa quickly stood and motioned for the kids to start cleaning up and heading inside. While they did, Elisa looked back over at Camila.

“Y tu novio?”

Camila paused for a moment before she chuckled and pushed some of her hair behind her ear, not having thought that anyone would have noticed her and EZ were seeing each other. The more she thought of it though, EZ coming by on the Harley wasn’t exactly subtle. He’d been by a couple times this past week, helping her plant other trees and apparently, Elisa had noticed the pattern.

“He’s good.”

“Felipe’s boy, right?”

Camila nodded, feeling a small drop of rain hit her arm.

“Yeah. The youngest.”

Elisa waggled her eyebrows and Camila threw her head back in a laugh, more raindrops starting to fall as the kids gathered up their toys and started to head back up onto the porch by their mother.

“Maybe the two of you can come over for dinner one day? Give me and the kids company.”

Camila smiled warmly and flinched as the rain started to pour down now, running up onto her own porch to get shelter from the weather, yelling over the pouring rain.

“That would be nice! Just let me know!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila’s eyes slowly drifted open as her phone rang. She lifted her head up slightly and looked over at her phone resting on the coffee table, Angel’s name popping up on her screen. She sat up from the couch and answered with a groggy voice, her eyes heavy.  

“Hey, Angel.”

“Hey, Camila. How’s it going?”

The brunette stretched and gave a yawn as Angel chuckled on his side of the phone.

“Just enjoying a nice mid-Saturday nap. You?”

“I wish, I’m stuck here at the clubhouse. Do me a favor, when you guys finish up your nap, send my brother on over here. I need him for something. I’ve been calling, I guess now I know why he hasn’t answered, since you two were too busy ‘napping’.”

Camila heard the tone in his voice, the way that he said napping and she could practically visualize his smirk in her head. She may have even laughed and thrown a snark remark back at him if she wasn’t completely confused.

“EZ isn’t here, Angel.”

There was a pause on Angel’s side and Camila stood quiet too.

“He’s not with you?”

Camila shook her head even though he couldn’t see then spoke up.

“No, Angel. Sorry. Maybe try the shop?”

“Oh, ok. Yeah, I’ll try there.”

There wasn’t a smirk or smile that could be heard in Angel’s voice now and Camila swallowed quietly, hoping she hadn’t thrown EZ under the bus by telling the truth if he had used her as an excuse not to be somewhere. The thought did cross her mind to backtrack, but it was already too late and the last thing she wanted to be was lie to Angel when he had been nothing but kind to her.

“Let me know if you can’t get a hold of him.”

“Yeah ok. Sorry for waking you up.”

Camila smiled softly.

“Don’t worry about it, Angel. Have a good day.”

Camila ended the call and laid back down, planning on continuing her nap, but as she laid there, she couldn’t help but think about EZ and where he was. Angel had made it sound as if he had said he was going to be with her, which was a lie. It didn’t really make sense to her, but she also could’ve just been reading into it too much like she had a habit of doing. She stayed laying down for a couple minutes more before she cursed and sat back up, grabbing her phone and calling EZ. He picked up on the third ring and Camila gave a sigh of relief, thankful that he wasn’t hurt.

“Hey, babe.”

It called Camila off guard for a moment, being the first time he had called her that. She smiled and looked down at her lap, trying to push down the joyful feeling his words gave her and remember why she was calling.

“Hey, listen, Angel just called looking for you. He said he had been calling you, but you didn’t answer. He thought you were with me, I told him no.”

Camila left it at that.

“I’m…I’m with Pops. I had left my phone with the bike. I’ll call him up now.”

“Ok. I just wanted to make sure you’re ok.”

EZ smiled on his end and ran a hand over his face.

“I’m fine baby. Is it ok if I stop by later this evening? I just wanted to talk.”

The jovial vibe left Camila and she swallowed.

“Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine. I promise. I just need to talk with you about Kevin. Dad told me about what happened.”

Now it was Camila’s turn to sound unsure.

“Oh. Ok. I’ll be here. Do you want me to cook dinner or?”

“No, it’ll be quick.”

“Ok, I’ll see you then.”

The two finished up their call and Camila placed her phone back down onto the coffee table before standing up to clean up some before EZ got there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila walked into the living room with a plate of conchas and placed them down onto the coffee table in front of EZ. She stood there in front of him not really knowing what to do or what type of conversation this was going to be. EZ simply smiled softly, motioning for her to come and sit beside him.

“Come here.”

She took a seat to his right and pulled her legs up onto the couch, tucking them behind her as he tossed an arm around her and pulled her into his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and he ran his fingers up and down her arm, letting his eyes close, just enjoying the moment. They must’ve sat there 5 minutes in pure silence enjoying the intimacy before EZ began to speak.

“I wanted to talk to you about Kevin. Pops told me that he showed up at the bookstore asking for you.”

Camila nodded and tilted her head some, looking up at him. EZ shifted his gaze down to her, moving his hand up from her arm to her head, running his fingers through her hair as he looked into her eyes.

“I’m sorry about him. He’s…my cousin. We’re not close though. We never have been. Angel is the only one that has memories of us as kids, barely. I don’t remember him at all from then. We’re blood, but we’re not family. He’s not a good guy. We don’t trust him. Don’t trust him either.”

He could see the worry in her eyes, and he used his fingers to tuck the dark locks behind her ear.

“Don’t worry, baby. He’s not dangerous. He’s just…he has no loyalty. He’s a cop that’s on his way out and he will do anything to make himself look better for the big dogs to keep his job, even if it means trying to make me look bad and get me locked up again.”

It wasn’t a lie, what he said. It was only half of the truth though, and he felt bad for doing it, but he knew he needed to make sure that Camila didn’t trust him or let him in, not even a little bit. He would tell her more in time, explain things to her and bring her in slowly, but he still wanted to keep her enough out of the loop that no one could ever pin anything on her, be it the club or the Feds.

EZ leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, loving the smile that came to her face immediately.

“You don’t have anything to worry about. I just wanted you to know. Pops told me you were nervous about it.”

Camila nodded, using the index finger on the hand that was resting atop his chest to draw light circles.

“He just creeped me out. The way he knew my name when I hadn’t told him, how uncomfortable your dad looked. I just felt like he was off, but I didn’t know for sure. Now I know.”

She smiled at EZ and pressed her lips to his cheek, patting his chest as she started to sit up some.

“Thanks for telling me the truth.”

EZ nodded and smiled, but he felt a bubble of guilt deep down. He wished he could tell her the complete truth. Have her know everything, be able to unleash every secret he had and be totally open with her, nothing left hidden, but he knew that just wasn’t an option at this point. They were still too new for him to know if he could truly trust her one hundred percent, and while he felt like he could, it wasn’t just him that would go down if he was wrong. So for now, he would keep his secrets under wraps.

“You’re welcome, Cam.”

She smiled brightly and reached over onto the plate, grabbing a concha and handing it to him.

“Eat one before you go.”  

He took the concha from her hand and settled back into the couch, looking at the tv show that she had paused on the TV and pulling her into him again.


	10. Chapter 10

“Pop, your groceries are here.”

EZ laughed at Angel’s comment as they both looked at Camila walking through the front door of the carniceria. Felipe came out from the back and joined his sons as they grabbed the bags from her hands and placed them down onto the counter. Angel started filing through the bag’s contents, picking up a nectarine and biting into it, chewing loudly as he continued looking through everything in the bags. Felipe shook his head at his oldest son, smiling then at his youngest as he and Camila locked eyes. He could see the look they shared, that look of young love with still a hint of shyness, EZ pulling her into a hug. He pressed a kiss into her nose, his lips lingering for a moment before he pulled away, Angel now being the one to pull her in softly, landing a brotherly pat to the top of her head before purposefully messing up her hair a bit. She chuckled and pushed his hand away, raking her fingers through her hair to put it back in place before she looked at Felipe, leaning over to give him a hug and a kiss. 

“It’s been pretty sunny lately, not many clouds, so everything grew like weeds these last couple of weeks. I also bought a new fertilizer so that’s helping too. I brought more than usual because it was overflowing in the garden and I can’t use all of this myself. Not before things start going bad at least.”

She pushed the bag on the right towards Felipe and then turned towards Angel and EZ, motioning to the second bag.

“I brought more because I figured maybe you could give some to your brothers. I’ve got tomatoes, peaches, peppers, limes. Maybe some of the guys could take them home? You could keep the limes at the clubhouse at the bar, use them for when you do shots?”

Angel smiled as he looked at Camila, her rambling starting up as it always did whenever she was unsure. Patting the bag, Angel nodded and gave Camila a warm smile.

“They’ll love it. Especially Tranq and Taza. They love fresh produce. And we can always use the limes at the clubhouse.”

Camila nodded then, relief clear in her smile.

“Well, that’s good.”

Both Mayans smiled as well, pleased with how easily she had accepted that part of them, the part many didn’t understand and would shy away from because of it. Sure, if she knew the truth about what they really did, if she knew about the tunnels and the murder, the trafficking and the cartel, she may not extend herself as readily, a conversation EZ and Angel had together this morning over a cup of coffee. As things were, she didn’t know about any of that yet and the brothers had agreed that was for the best, happy to have her simply feel safe in the presence of the men in kuttes.

Felipe grabbed his bag and began looking through it, smiling as he saw Camila had brought everything, she had said she would, and then some. There was a bit of silence that fell over the group then and Camila stood unsure of herself, hands folded in front of her as she chewed her lip, blurting out her question before she lost the nerve.

“Would you guys like to come over for dinner? I thought maybe I could cook and have you over.”

She never wanted to seem pushy, or like she was forcing herself on them because she and EZ were together. The question had been floating around her mind even before she and EZ had decided to make things official between them, simply wanting to repay the family with the kindness that they had shown her. Them finally being a couple only made it a little easier to ask.

Angel, of course, nodded rather quickly, eager to try some of her cooking while Felipe gave a soft smile first, followed by one single nod.

“That would be nice, Camila.”

The brunette beamed and looked up at EZ, eyes twinkling as she took his hand in hers, her other hand wrapped around his wrist and holding his arm.

“Tonight? Would that be ok?”

All three men nodded, and Camila nodded along with them.

“Tonight, it is.”

Angel finished off the nectarine and then tossed the pit into the trashcan over in the corner before turning back around and picking up the bag of produce, eyebrows raised as he passed Camila and headed towards the door.

“That shit was good. Let’s go drop these off.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The three of them arrived at the clubhouse together, Camila parking to the side as EZ and Angel backed their bikes up. Camila got out and opened her trunk while the boys removed their helmets and made their way over to her. She reached down to grab the bag but EZ gently pushed her to the side, grabbing the bulky bag himself and giving her a smile.

“I got it, Cam.”

Camila closed the trunk behind him and locked her car, walking up towards the clubhouse with the duo. Angel walked in first, holding the door open for them and they stepped inside. Tranq and Taza sat at the bar with Coco, Bishop nowhere in sight. The men looked up as they walked in and smiled warmly, Coco watching Camila and EZ intently. Camila returned their smile and nervously tucked some of her hair behind her right ear, walking up with the brothers to the bar where the seasoned members sat. Angel could see she was nervous, still not all that familiar with the men as she was with him and Coco, so he spoke up for her as he placed the bag down.

“She brought some stuff from her garden for us. All fresh.”

Both Taza and Tranq stood then, looking down into the bag and pulling items out, placing them down onto the bar. Taza looked back at Camila with a light smile.

“You grew all this?”

Camila nodded, feeling proud of her hard work.

“Yes, sir.”

The older Mayan chuckled and shook his head at her, his smile widening.

“No need for formalities, nena.”

She laughed along with him, Tranq now looking back at her with a genuine fatherly smile.

“These are beautiful. Bishop will love the peppers.”

The two continued emptying the bag as Coco stood and walked over to them, leaning over to press a kiss to Camila’s cheek before coming to stand beside EZ, pushing his elbow into his roughly as he brought his cigarette up to his lips and took a drag. He spoke quietly with a smirk, so only EZ could hear.

“So, you finally got some balls and asked her to be your girl huh, boy scout?”

EZ looked down to hide his smile and then looked back up, nodding and gripping the side of his kutte.

“Yeah. I did.”

Coco nodded then, placing his hand on the back of EZ’s head and pushing it forward playfully. Camila looked back at them and smiled, loving to see all of them interacting, happy and full of love. EZ and Coco continued to laugh amongst themselves, EZ looking forward and catching Camila watching them with a grin. He returned it and she turned back towards the bar, answering Taza’s questions about how she kept the bugs from eating the cilantro leaves.

Hearing the conversations, Bishop walked out of El Templo and up to the bar, returning Camila’s shy wave as she saw him.

“Hola, querida.”

“Hola.”

He looked down at the assortment of produce scattered across the bar top with an arched brow, Tranq turning towards him and handing him two shiny bell peppers, one yellow and one red.

“The kid brought these from her garden.”

Bishop took the peppers from Tranq, squeezing them gently and feeling the tight skin and how firm the vegetable was.

“This is all yours?”

Camilla nodded then quickly followed up.

“Yeah. Well I mean I grew it all, but I brought it for you guys. I don’t need that much for just me. I just wanted to share it.”

Bishop nodded and reached over to place a friendly hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly.

“Thank you, Camila. Are you sticking around?”

She pouted and gave her head a shake, motioning toward EZ who came up and wrapped his left arm around her waist, hand resting on her hip.

“Not today. Next time. I gotta get home, I’m making dinner for these two and their dad tonight.”

Bishop nodded, looking at them as Angel came up as well, tossing his arms lazily over both Camila and EZ’s shoulders, teeth full-on display with his grin, eyes wide and excited.

“She’s making chiles rellenos.”

“Didn’t you almost burn the house down once making those?”

“Man, shut up.”

The crew laughed as Coco poked fun, Angel shaking his head and starting to maneuver Camila and EZ out of the clubhouse. He called out over his shoulder as they exited.

“And it was Chilaquiles that I fucked up.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Smells fucking good in here, Cam.”

She smiled as she heard Angel’s voice, him walking into her kitchen with a beer in hand and coming to stand beside her at the stove.

“The rice is almost done. We’ll be eating in less than 10 minutes.”

He looked over her shoulder as she turned the white rice over in its pot, the smell of lime juice ever-present in the air as she did.

“Can’t wait.”

He walked away for a moment, his nose leading him to the toaster oven in the corner of the counter. He leaned down slightly and looked inside, his mouth practically watering at the sight of the stuffed poblanos, the queso bubbling up as it browned. He turned away and went back to stand next to Camila.

“You don’t mind if I’m in here, do you?”

Camila looked over at him with a perplexed look, giving a confused laugh.

“Why would I mind you being in here? I told you that you’re welcome in my house anytime.”

Angel shook his head and then turned, leaning over and resting his crossed arms on the counter, training his eyes on the pot of rice.

“I meant here in the kitchen. My mom used to hate having me around when she would cook. Probably because my ass was always fucking something up.”

He laughed but Camila could hear the edge in it. Shaking her head, she reached over and gently rested her hand on his forearm. When he looked over at her finally, she offered him a smile.

“Well, I don’t mind. You’re welcome in my house, and in my kitchen whenever you’d like, Angel.”

He said nothing in return for a while, just nodded.

“Thanks, Chiquita.”

That was enough for Camila and she patted his shoulder, pushing him softly.

“Can you get some plates out for me?”

She removed the pot from the stove and put it on the metal rack on the counter, spooning the rice out of it and into a separate bowl as Angel put down his beer and began pulling plates out of the white cabinet. She grabbed the bowl with cilantro and more lime juice, pouring it into the rice and beginning to stir together as Angel placed the four plates down onto the countertop. She began to serve the rice onto the plates and motioned towards the living room.

“You can go get your dad and brother, have them go to the table.”

Angel swallowed down the rest of his beer and headed over into Camila’s living room, Felipe and EZ sitting down on the couch together. They looked up at him as he came out and he pointed behind himself with a thumb.

“Dinner’s done.”

The two of them made their way over to the dinner table and Angel started to as well, Camila’s voice stopping him.

“Angel,”

He looked over at her and found her facing him with two plates and a warm smile.

“Help me set the table?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila smiled, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie as she watched Angel and Felipe head toward the front door.

“Thank you for coming, Felipe.”

“Thank you for having us, mija.”

Angel opened the door and stepped aside, letting Felipe walk through first, the older man thanking Camila for the dinner once more before making his way towards his truck. Angel turned and wrapped one arm around Camila’s shoulders, pulling her in and kissing her on the top of the head before letting her go and bumping his fist with EZ’s. He threw one more glance at Camila as he started walking out of the house.

“Thanks.”

She nodded and EZ looked between them, a solace coming over him knowing that Angel approved and liked her. As the door closed, EZ turned to face her, closing the distance between them with a few small steps before he was circling his arms around her, hands pressing flat against her back and pulling her into him. She pulled her hands out of her hoodie and raised them, taking EZ’s face into her hands. They stayed there, looking at each other quietly, the rumble of Angel’s Harley starting up outside while she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his right cheek, then his left, then his chin. He laughed when she pushed up high on her tippy toes, her hands pulling his face down some so she could kiss his forehead. She relaxed until she was flat-footed again but kept her hands on his face, her eyes still locked with his as he leaned down, finally feeling her lips against his. The kiss was slow, almost as if they had paused, pulling away slowly but their lips still touching, lingering, before he was pressing forward again, her meeting him halfway. They kissed again and again, his grip on her back getting tighter, her fingers holding his jaw a bit firmer until he was leaning forward, her back arched backward slightly as he pulled her body flush against his, feeling as if he couldn’t get her close enough. She giggled into his mouth, their smiles mirroring each other’s as they pulled away.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Camila laughed bashfully, looking down and trying to hide her face in his chest. He let her for a moment before he hooked his fingers under her chin and pulled her face up again.

“You are.”

Camila looked up at him before pressing a kiss to the center of his chest against his sternum.

“Thank you, Ezekiel. So are you.”

The Mayan laughed and released his iron grip on her, allowing her to pull back some.

“Me halagas.”

She shrugged and tapped her index finger against his cheek.

“It’s true.”

The grinned at each other and began to pull each other in for another kiss when EZ’s phone went off.

He groaned and she laughed, pulling away to let him pull his phone from his kutte. Angel’s name was on the screen and he answered the call.

“What do you want? You just left here.”

“Sorry prospect. Bishop wants us down here for a job.”

EZ allowed his eyes to slip closed, annoyance creeping up on him. All he wanted to do was stay there with Camila, hold her and kiss her and spend time with her, not be out burying bodies or whatever he was going to have to do tonight. He just wanted to be with her, enjoying the sound of her laugh and watching movies but as usual, life seemed to have a sense of humor. Letting out a sigh, he reached out, holding onto her cheek with one hand, running his thumb over her lips and holding the phone with is other.

“Alright. I’ll be there soon.” 


	11. Chapter 11

“Where are we going?”

Camila questioned EZ once more with a smile, her hand holding onto his as they walked. He grinned and looked over at her, leaning down for a kiss as he relented.

“I’m taking you for ice cream.”

Once her lips were off his, she smiled again and squeezed his hand.

“Do you remember my favorite flavor?”

EZ looked down at her with an incredulous look, pointing at his forehead with his index finger.

“Do I remember? I remember everything.”

Camila nodded and looked forward again, walking along the sidewalk with him.

“I forgot about that.”

They walked quietly then, not speaking again until they were in the parlor, EZ stepping up to the counter as the middle-aged redheaded woman smiled.

“What can I get you two lovebirds?”

EZ pointed over at Camila with his thumb.

“She’ll have strawberry on a cake cone, rainbow sprinkles.”

The woman nodded as she looked at Camila and then looked back at EZ.

“And what can I get for you, cutie?”

EZ looked over the board for a moment more, his hand griping at the hair on his chin before he looked back down at her.

“Rocky road in a cup.”

“You got it.”

The woman turned around and began making up the orders, EZ turning to find Camila looking at the various posters on the wall, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe plastered everywhere. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, hands against her tummy as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She relaxed into his grip and tilted her head slightly, her temple resting against his.

“Thanks for taking me out again, Ezekiel.”

EZ hugged her tighter and pressed his cheek into hers, giving a sigh.

“I wish I could do it more often. Shit with the club takes my attention away from you.”

Camila shook her head at that, turning in his arms.

“You were with the club before you were with me. If they need you, they need you.”

EZ looked down at her silently, wondering how with all of the bad shit he had done in his life, from killing an innocent man to taking a deal with the DEA  to betraying both his brother and club and getting his father caught up in the mix, he had managed to get someone that was so patient and when it came to him and his life. He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb running over her plump and pink bottom lip, pulling it down slightly before letting it pop back into place. There was the sound of someone clearing their throat and they both jumped slightly, pulling away from each other to find the woman standing with both the cone and cup of ice cream in her hands, a smirk on her face.

“Nothing like young love.”

EZ took the ice cream from her with a bashful smile and turned back to Camila, both walking to the corner of the empty ice cream parlor, sitting in the vintage chairs.  

EZ waited for Camila to sit down before he handed her the ice cream and sat down himself. They sat and talked and ate, laughing and telling each other about their week freely. She told him about the shipment of new releases she had gotten at the bookstore and he told her about the 12 round game of rock paper scissors Angel and Coco had played about who was going to have to pay for the pizza they ordered last night for dinner. They talked amongst themselves, their ice cream long gone and the clock hands slowly ticking as they simply enjoyed each other’s company.

Soon enough, Camila looked down at her watch and placed her hands on the tops of her thighs.

“We better get going. We’ve been here for an hour now.”

The two stood and pushed their chairs in, EZ throwing a ten-dollar bill on the counter as they walked out. The woman waved at them as they left and EZ held the door open for Camila to step out. He followed behind her and took her hand in his as they started to walk back to the carniceria. Along the way, EZ’s observant nature noticed a car parked along the street and he narrowed his eyes, trying to see who it was that was sitting in the driver’s seat. He didn’t have to wait long though as Kevin stepped out, closing the door behind him and then strolling over, EZ’s jaw tensing. His grip on Camila tightened involuntarily and he pushed her to walk a little faster, his hand now on the small of her back. She looked up at him confused before she noticed Kevin, a look of frustration flashing across her face along with what looked to EZ like anger.

“Everything’s fine. Just go inside with Pop.”

The two made it to the front door of the carniceria before KJ did and Camila walked in, EZ staying right outside of the door, arms crossed in front of him. Inside, Felipe was already standing with a hand on Camila’s shoulder and she couldn’t tell if he was doing it to offer her comfort or to keep her inside. She looked on as EZ and Kevin spoke, a growing tension clearly visible in EZ’s shoulders the longer the conversation went on.

“He doesn’t quit does he.”

Felipe shook his head quietly, turning to Camila and gently pulling her to sit down as the two men walked inside. EZ was clearly pissed when he turned toward Camila, but he willed his jaw to loosen some before he spoke to her.

“I think you should head out. I’ll see you later.”

Camila’s eyebrows furrowed as she listened to his words. He was short and there wasn’t the same warmth that his voice usually held when he spoke to her. She knew he was angry, she could read it on him like it was written across his forehead, but she didn’t get why his brevity would be directed at her, or why she would need to leave so that he could talk to the man that everyone apparently should be avoiding. It didn’t make sense to her, but she left it alone, nodding and not saying anything for the time being. She took a step to the right and walked past EZ, his eyes flashing towards her once before looking back at Kevin. Felipe followed her out to the door, and she turned back toward him momentarily, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Felipe took the opportunity to speak to her, knowing that only she would be able to hear.

“Everything is fine, mija. No te preocupes.”

Camila nodded and pushed a smile before walking out of the shop entirely and making her way to her car. She wasn’t sure what was going on and she had a feeling that she wouldn’t be finding out the truth anytime soon.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of a bike let her know that EZ was there way before he actually pulled into her driveway. She pulled the yellow blanket off her lap and stood from the couch, walking up to the front door, taking a glance at the clock on the stove. It was now 11:30 PM, nearly 3 hours after she had left the carniceria to let EZ talk. If she was being honest, she had started to think that perhaps he had just forgotten he said he would see her later. Pulling open her front door, she saw him pull the key from the bike and hop off, hanging the helmet from the handlebar.

He looked up to see her standing at the door, arms crossed as she leaned against the frame. He started walking up the driveway and now looking at her attire, he took in the sight of her. Boy shorts that showed more leg than he had seen from her before, a tank top and house slippers, her hair pulled into a messy bun at the top of her head.  Tendrils of dark hair hung down around her ears and at the nape of her neck. Her eyes looked heavy and he pulled out his phone to check the time, wincing when he saw how much time had gotten away from him. He slipped his phone back into his kutte and jogged up the last few steps to where she stood, a soft and apologetic smile coming to his face.

“Sorry, querida. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, noticing immediately that she wasn’t as receptive as she normally was. Pulling away, he looked at her, her hand coming to rest on his cheek.

“Are you ok?”

He saw her searching his eyes and he knew there was a lot hidden behind that question.

She knew. She knew that there was something she didn’t know, something that he wasn’t telling her, and she wanted to know if there was a problem. Even still she didn’t ask, didn’t question, didn’t demand answers. Not yet at least. She just wanted to know that he was alright and that in itself made him feel a little better about the night’s events.

“I’m fine, Cam. I promise.”

Her eyes stayed trained on his and he had to look away briefly, the feeling of her trying to read him almost palpable. After a moment, she pulled her hand away and stepped back, opening the door to let him into her home.

It looked different now at this time. Most of the lights were off except the ones in the kitchen and hallway, candles burning in random parts of the living room, a light yellow blanket strewn across the couch where he was sure she was probably laying half asleep before he pulled up. EZ stepped further into the house and waited for her as she turned to lock the door behind him. When she faced him again, he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her towards her own couch to sit with him. She didn’t take much convincing, following him and sitting down beside him, hand resting gently on his thigh.

“Your dad ok?”

EZ nodded and tossed an arm around her, reminiscent of how they had been the last time they sat together on the couch like this. She cuddled into him further and blew out a breath, closing her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to make him feel as if she didn’t know how to mind her business. Her ability to read people had always been one of her most important qualities because no matter how hard people tried to hide, she could always tell if there were secrets hiding in their eyes and in time, all things come to light. The couple sat there quietly for a bit before Camila spoke.

“I know we’re still pretty new, still figuring each other out, trying to navigate each other’s lives, but I just want to make sure everything is ok, Ezekiel. You don’t have to tell me the details.”

She left it at that, affirming EZ’s suspicions from earlier. She was completely aware that something wasn’t right, that there was trouble brewing, and EZ thought back to his father’s words.

_‘She’s not the type of woman to push and be nosey, but she isn’t the type to sit around in the dark either.’_

He was right, as per usual, and EZ swallowed.

“The whole thing is…a mess. It’s a mess that I don’t want you caught up in. It’s my mess. My problem, not yours. You’re one of the first positive things I’ve had happen to me in a while. I want to keep it that way.”

He wasn’t being direct, he was, in fact, being impossibly vague and yet, Camila understood then that whatever the issue was, it was bigger than just them. It was complicated and serious and something that had the potential to disrupt the balance if she were to find out and more so if it were to come out. Camila could see that now and she nodded, pulling away from EZ to grab her yellow blanket again and cuddle back into his side, wrapping the two of them up in the plush fabric.

 ~~~~~~~~~~ 

Camila looked up from the paperwork in front of her when the bell attached to the library door jingled as someone was coming in. She saw a blonde woman standing there, blue eyes and designer clothes as she walked into the bookstore, a man with dark braids walking in behind her. They both exuded an expensive air and Camila stood from her chair, drawing the attention of both new customers.

“Good morning. Is there anything I can help you find?”

The man in the back didn’t pay much attention to her, simply scanning around the store, his head always on the swivel, observing everything. The woman, however, was focused on Camila, an unreadable look on her face before she gave a smile and pointed over to the café side.

“Are they closed?”

Camila shook her head, motioning to the nearly empty store.

“No, they’re open, they’re just in the back getting everything ready for the day.”

Camila walked over and called out to the baristas over the counter, the two young women that worked the mornings stepping out and smiling at the woman, beginning to take her order. Walking back to the bookstore desk, Camila noticed the man still hadn’t moved, still standing in that same spot where he had been. She looked away before she could catch his attention and sat back down in the chair, continuing with her inventory list. Once the blonde woman was finished with her order, she went and sat at a table to wait, looking over at Camila once more. Camila could feel her eyes on her and stayed looking down as she tried to remember where she had seen the woman before. She looked slightly familiar and Camila couldn’t figure out how or from where. She sat there looking down at the list pretending to read, but her eyes were in the same spot, her wracking her memory to try and remember where she may have seen the woman from. Coming up blank, she left it alone, figuring it must’ve not have been from anything important. She zoned out on her surroundings then, focusing on the tallies on the paper and making sure the serial numbers matched, not paying much mind when she heard the barista call out the order of a caramel macchiato for Emily.


	12. Chapter 12

“Is that too much?”

Camila looked over at a kneeling Angel, wiping away a bead of sweat from her forehead and shook her head.

“Nope. That’s perfect.”

Angel gave a proud smile and nodded, softly patting his hand on the damp soil over the seeds he had just planted. Camila reached over and grabbed the sharpie and gardening label, handing them over to Angel.

“Write down what it is so we know.”

Angel took the items from her before shaking his head and holding them back out to her.

“You’re handwriting is better than mine.”

Reaching over, she pushed his hand back away from her and toward him with a smile.

“You plant it, you write it. That one’s yours.”

Angel looked down at the tag and marker in his hand as Camila stood and wiped her hands off on a towel beside her.

“I’m gonna go get us some juice. Come inside when you finish up.”

Camila reached over to pat his shoulder gently before starting to head back into the house while Angel stayed there, looking at his patch of dirt. Pulling the cap off the sharpie, he placed the label flat against his thigh and began writing cilantro on the front of the tag as neatly as he could. He gripped it straight and the put it back down on his leg, flipping it over and writing something down on the back before facing it to the front again and pushing the stake at the bottom of it into the soft soil. He stood then, wiping his hands together like she had done and started making his way into the house as well, ready for a glass of cold juice.

He walked in and found her standing in the kitchen, finishing up washing her hands and walking to the fridge, pulling out the glass pitcher of her homemade juice cocktail. She reached over and grabbed a glass from the drying rack and poured him some, pointing over to the sink as she held onto his glass.  

“Go wash your hands.”

Angel smiled and nodded exaggeratedly at her, turning on the water and watching as the water turned brown.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She waited for him to dry his hands and then handed him his glass, watching as he gulped down half of the glass. He pulled away after a moment and pulled the glass an arm’s length away, looking over it.

“That a new blend?”

Camila nodded and smiled brightly, holding her hands together in front of her and bouncing slowly on her heels.

“Can you tell what?”

“Cranberry for sure.”

Camila nodded and Angel looked at the glass again.

“Pomegranate?”

“Mhm. One more.”

Angel tilted his head back and forth, making a show of swirling the rest of the juice left in his glass, lifting his other hand and wafting the glass, sniffing.

“Grape.”

Shaking her head, Camila laughed.

“Close. Blueberry.”

“Blueberry juice?”

“Yep.”

“I didn’t know that was a thing.”

“Well know you know.”

Angel finished the rest of his class and placed it into the sink, starting to wash it as she waved her hand at him.

“Leave it there, I’ll get it.”

The older Reyes brother didn’t listen and finished washing his cup before turning toward her and shrugging.

“Mom always told us to wash our dishes. If you used it then you wash it.”

Camila nodded and gave a shrug of her own.

“I mean it sounds fair.”

Angel smiled then and pointed to his bag that was sitting on Camila’s couch, that she had urged him to bring.

“I’m gonna go take a shower, then we can get started on lunch.”

Camila nodded and pointed to the guest bathroom.

“Everything is in there, I set it all up for you. I’ll go take a shower too and we’ll meet back here so we can cook something up and take it over to the shop.”

Angel nodded and grabbed his bag, heading off to the bathroom while Camila looked over at her garden through the sliding glass doors at the back of the house, smiling as she saw the new area she and Angel had planted today.

Before long, they were all bathed and in the kitchen, Camila helping Angel along as he cooked lunch and packaged it, both of them heading to the carniceria to eat with Felipe. He was at the counter checking out a customer when they walked in and they went to the back, Camila placing the bag down on the metal counter as the bell rang in the shop, the customer gone and Felipe now joining them.

“What’d you bring me?”

Camila smiled as she unpacked the bag, Felipe there looking over her shoulder as she pulled the containers out. Angel looked on as she did, standing a bit off to the side behind her while she pointed to the refried beans and yellow rice.

“Angel cooked this.”

Felipe gave a soft chuckle but it died down when he saw both Angel and Camila with straight faces. He looked down at the food then and leaned down to smell it, standing back up straight and looking at Angel.

“You really made this, mijo?”

Angel scratched at the back of his neck as he nodded.

“Yeah. I mean she walked me through it and helped me out when I got pissed that the rice was taking too long but yeah, I did.”

Camila smiled at the prideful look he wore and she patted his shoulder, pulling out the hard plastic plates she had brought, serving the two men and handing them their plates, smiling as Angel kept on about how boring it was to make rice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila smiled as EZ stared at her, a slight smirk hanging on his lips.

“What?”

EZ shook his head, hand holding hers as they sat together at the clubhouse bar.

“Just happy you’re mine, that’s all.”

Camila blushed at that, squeezing his hand softly.

“I feel the same way.”

EZ’s smirk transformed into a loving smile and he leaned across the tabletop, pressing his lips to hers. She kissed back for a second or two before pulling away and looking around. EZ ran his thumb along the back of her hand.

“Relax, no one is looking.”

She chuckled a bit and shook her head, a couple of strands of hair falling from her low bun and into her face. EZ reached over and tucked them behind her ear, using the closeness as another opportunity to get his lips back on hers. This time she stayed in place and let him keep kissing her, leaning into him as he was into her. EZ leaned into her further and groaned slightly, wanting to closer and reaching for her thigh, only to hit his knuckles into the bottom of the bar wall. Camila laughed quietly against his mouth and he laughed too, pulling away and licking his lips. He opened his mouth for a moment, wanting to speak but closed it. He wanted to take her back to his trailer but he didn’t want to be too forward and truth be told, he was still a little rusty. Sure he had slept with a couple of sweetbutts and some of Vicki’s girls since he’d been free but it had been years since he had gone the whole nine yards and he didn’t know if he still had it or not. Camila could see his hesitation though and smiled at him, tilting her head and resting her cheek on her closed fist.

“What’s up? Talk to me.”

He hesitated for a second more before smiling and nodding at her.

“I was thinking that we could go to my trailer, get some privacy.”

Camila nodded after a second and he grabbed her hand tighter, standing and pulling her to stand with him, both of them grabbing their beers. He guided her to the front of the clubhouse, stopping to look into El Templo, seeing Bishop sitting at the head of the table, reading something and smoking. EZ called to him and the president looked up, smiling as he saw them standing there.

“I was gonna head out if that’s alright.”

Bishop nodded and held his own beer up to them, throwing Camila another friendly smile.

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Bishop.”

EZ waved at Bishop as he passed and placed his hand on Camila’s hip, walking outside with her. Angel, Gilly, and Coco were sat outside at the table, smoking and talking, all of them looking over as the couple was walking by, Angel giving a low whistle as the made their way to the camper.

“You gonna make me a nephew?”

EZ groaned, flipping him off as he ushered Camila in faster, Angel’s voice getting cut off as they walked in and closed the door.

“Or a niece, don’t matter to me.”

EZ slammed the door and shook his head as Camila laughed.

“God he can be a pain in the ass.”

Camila shrugged, keeping her smile on her face.

“He’s a good guy. He’s the big brother, he has to give you shit, that’s his job.”

EZ nodded and motioned to the couch, sitting beside Camila after she took a seat.

“I know, he can just be…”

EZ shook his head instead of finishing the sentence and Camila suddenly wore a more serious face, her eyes trained on his.

“He’s doing his best.”

EZ maintained the eye contact and gave a nod, thankful that not only had she warmed up to Angel quickly, but they had become decent friends over the last handful of months.

“He told me you let him garden with you.”

Camila leaned into EZ then, relaxing into his side and cuddling into him, the scent of his cologne and his kutte engulfing her.

“He asked if he could see my garden like you did so I told him yes. He started talking about your mom's garden then and I figured it would be nice for him to come and help me garden like you did. Just…give him something to focus on and relax.”

EZ smiled at that and reached over, taking her chin in his hand and pulling her head back, his mouth on hers again. She leaned into him more now, the privacy helping her relax and she turned slightly facing him now, her lips against his as his hands reached for her, pulling her body towards his. She allowed him and leaned in further, her hands on his chest and sneaking around his neck as he sat up some. He kept kissing her as he got up on his knees and started leaning her backward until her back made contact with the couch, his body hovering over hers.

Their lips were moving faster now, her hands clinging onto him as he held himself up, a low groan rumbling in his throat as she slid her hands down his chest, nails digging ever so slightly into his abdomen through his white tee. He let his lower half rest against her and judging by the soft giggle she gave, he was sure she could feel how hard he was. She pulled away from him, trying to catch her breath and he simply trailed his lips down to her jaw, then to the front of her throat, his thumb on her chin pushing her head back slightly.

He ground himself into her subconsciously, wanting to feel both closer to her and some form of friction. The moan she gave at the feeling made him twitch and he did it again, grinding himself into her as she spread her legs further, giving him more room. He reached his hand down then hooking his fingers in the back of her knee and raising her leg, hooking it over his waist. She whimpered then, loving the feeling of him against her, hard and pulsing. Letting her head fall back some more she cursed, her hands fisting into the fabric of his shirt as they dry humped.

“Fuck, EZ.”

He smiled against her neck and finally removed his lips, looking down at her.

“Is this ok?”

Camila nodded only, not trusting that her voice wouldn’t shake in her state of arousal. EZ nodded himself then, the hand that was on her thigh, now making its way between her legs. They both gasped then when there was a sharp and rough knock on the trailer door, Angel’s voice calling to his baby brother from the other side.

“Sorry Prospect, Padrino needs us down in the tunnels, now.”

Angel left it at that, not saying more since he knew Camila was in there too. EZ couldn’t hide his annoyance this time after being interrupted once more and looked down at Camila with irritated eyes while she simply smiled and leaned her head up to press a gentle kiss to his collarbone.

“Go. I’ll get myself home. Just text me when you get back here, let me know that you’re ok and safe.”

EZ appreciated her patience and understanding, but it was her words that really struck him. Once again, it was reaffirming what Felipe had said about her being a smart girl. He hadn’t told her anything yet, nothing about what the club really did, nothing about Potter or the deal, and yet she had already concluded that whatever happened when he was called probably wasn’t safe. She cared about him, wanted him to come back in one piece, even when she didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. All she wanted was for him to come back safe, back to her. Eyes locked on hers, swelling in his chest making his blood pump a little faster, he looked down at her and blurted out the words that had been swimming around his head for the last month.

“I love you, Camila.”

Her smile faltered then, her eyes still boring into his, now switching back and forth, searching for ridicule or humor in his eyes. When she found none, she let her eyes drift away from his, her hands feeling shaky now, the seriousness setting in. Her voice was low when she spoke again, a timidity there that was new, her dark eyes peering into his.

“I love you too, Ezekiel.”

 


	13. Chapter 13

“El Padrino is renewing his vows next month.”

Camila smiled and swallowed her mouthful of eggs before answering.

“That’s beautiful. You don’t see many people together long enough to renew their vows anymore.”

EZ nodded and took another bite of his bacon, wiping his mouth.

“It’s not too formal but it will be nice, so you have time to look for an outfit if you don’t have one in mind already.”

Tilting her head, Camila looked at EZ across the table. 

“You want me to go with you?”

He gave a laugh and reached for his cup of coffee, eyes still on hers.

“Who else was I going to take as my date?”

Her smile was bright as she shook her head, a playfulness in her eyes.

“No one else. Only me.”

EZ’s smirk was prominent as he put the mug down.

“That’s right.”

Camila wiped her mouth and then stood from her chair, grabbing her empty plate and EZ’s empty glass of orange juice. She walked over to her sink and placed them down, EZ stabbing his last piece of scrabbled egg and putting the fork into his mouth before standing himself. He walked towards Camila, reaching around her to place his dirty dishes in the sink as well, his arms coming to wrap around her waist, holding her to him. He leaned his head forward, resting his cheek against hers and he felt her smile, his face turning slightly so he could look at her.

“What are you smiling about, preciosa?”

Her smile widened and she turned to look at him too, pressing her lips to his cheek and letting them linger before she pulled away.

“You.”

Her words were simple, but they still brought a smile to the Mayan’s face and he pulled away from her slightly, turning her around to face him while she laughed and fought against him.

“EZ, I’m getting soap everywhere!”

She tried to keep her soapy hands towards the sink, but he kept pulling her, suds falling onto the floor and the front of her tank top. She laughed in his arms and so did he, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers, his laugh dying off as they made contact. Camila leaned up into his kiss, raising her hands up and holding them out to her sides, not wanting to get either of them full of the bubbles and water. EZ didn’t seem to mind though, his hands on her hips, trying to pull her in closer to him. His grip on her was strong and all she wanted was to touch him back, rest her hands on his shoulders the way she was used to, and she pulled away from him then, smiling and shaking her finger at him playfully.

“Let me finish these dishes up.”

EZ’s smirk came back and he held his hands up in surrender, taking a couple of steps back.

“Ok, ok. Yes ma’am.”

EZ’s smile stayed on his face and he turned back toward the table in Camila’s dining room, looking at his kutte hanging on the back of the opposite chair. His eyes stayed glued on the leather, the sight solidifying the fact that she really was in this with him. Granted, she may not know the specifics of what went down concerning the club, but she knew enough to worry about his safety every time he was away from her and that proved that no matter how little he told her, he wasn’t going to be able to keep her in the dark, just like his dad had said. He heard the water shut off behind her and he turned back to face her, loving the smile she wore as she finished drying off her hands and stepped toward him. He opened his arms up to her and she stepped into them, this time wrapping her arms around his middle. She leaned forward and turned her head, resting her cheek against his chest, his arms wrapping around her as well.

“Pop was wondering if you wanted to come by the house for dinner tonight.”

Camila quickly looked up at that and EZ saw what looked like anxiety on her face.

“Like at his house? Where you guys grew up?”

EZ nodded as he looked down at her, lifting his hand to run through her dark hair over and over.

“Yeah, baby. He asked me to ask you. He wants to make a nice dinner for you.”

Camila’s smile was soft then, an unreadable look in her eyes as she looked up at him before hugging him again.

“I’ll be there.”

EZ leaned into her some more but the hug only lasted a couple of seconds more before he snatched herself away from him, eyes wide and excited.

“I have to start making something to take with me!”

EZ chuckled as she spun around and then began looking through the pantry, trying to figure out what she was going to make to take to Felipe’s.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“EZ, come taste.”

He looked away from the TV and towards the kitchen, seeing Camila walking out. His eyes were finding it hard to focus, grazing over her body as she walked towards him. His gaze locked on the curve of her hips in her baby pink shorts, swaying on their own, the olive skin of her thighs smooth and supple. He raked his eyes over her top half then, her black tank top tight against her breasts, her long hair hanging down over her shoulders, almost touching the waistband of her shorts. He looked over her body the entire time she was walking over to him, only the second time he had seen her like this. It wasn’t until she was standing there in front of him that he noticed she was holding a mini cake pan in one hand and a spoon in another.

“Try the tres leche.”

“Oh.”

He laughed softly to himself, sitting up a bit on the couch.

“I thought you meant you.”

Her laugh was light, the apples of her cheeks taking on a slightly red tint as she shook her head.

“No, my cake.”

“OK.”

Camila took the spoon and dug into the mini cake she had made for him, making sure to scoop all the way to the bottom. She took the spoon and then held it out to him, EZ opening his mouth and taking a bite. She pulled the spoon from his mouth and stood back up straight, looking down at him and waiting for his reaction. He gave a nod and she smiled.

“It’s not too sweet, right? It has enough milk? I wanna make sure Felipe likes it.”

EZ shook his head then and reached out to her, hands on her hips as he pulled her into his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs as she settled.

“Es perfecto. He’ll love it, don’t worry.”

With a nod, she spooned out another bite for herself this time and then another, feeding that one to him again. They shared the cake and when they finished, she leaned back, placing the empty pan and spoon onto the coffee table before facing him again. As he looked at her, he could see the playfulness leave from her face.

“Your dad likes me, right? Like really likes me?”

A frown made its way onto EZ’s face, his hands moving from her hips to her back, cradling her now as both of her hands fidgeted with the collar of his shirt.

“Hey, look at me.”

Camila’s eyes took a second but eventually, they drifted up to meet his and he looked at her closely.

“He likes you. He cares for you. We all do. My dad enjoys having you around and he’s happy that you’re in my life, so is Angel. You don’t have to worry about that, ok?”

She nodded and gave a smile then, her hands and shoulders relaxing.

“Ok.”

EZ smiled at her relief and pulled her into him, her arms wrapping around his neck, her bright smile back as she looked at him.

“Should I make something else too?”

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Camila sat back in her chair as Felipe and EZ stood, heading into the kitchen with the dirty dishes from dinner. She watched as they went in and stood to help them, Angel reaching out to her and nodding towards the back door.

“Wanna come outside with me while I smoke?”

Camila didn’t smoke and she knew that Angel knew that. Reading between the lines, she figured that he needed to talk, and she nodded, following him out to the back. It was dark out, the moon only a sliver in the sky. There was enough light to see each other close up. She watched him as he pulled his pack out of his kutte, taking one cigarette and his lighter out, then putting the pack back, lighting up. He looked over at Camila as he took a drag, opening his mouth and then closing it without saying anything. She wasn’t sure if it was because he forgot what he was going to say, or he just didn’t know how to say it, but she smiled anyway, reaching over to lay her hand on his shoulder.

“You good?”

He nodded and gave a genuine smile, leaning over slightly to push his shoulder into hers.

“I’m glad you’re here. With us, you know. I haven’t seen EZ this happy in a while. Not since he got out at least. It ain’t easy moving to a new place with new people, not knowing anyone. I know it’s different, dealing with him while he tries to get used to being on the outside again and the MC and then me being me.”

He gave a soft laugh and then continued.

“You’ve been good to me and I wanted to say thank you. I know I can be a pain and you never seem to get tired of my ass. EZ’s got his memory thing and he’s so suave so I know it ain’t hard dealing with him but me on the other hand. I know I probably don’t say it enough but- “

He stopped as Camila squeezed his forearm.

“Stop, Angel. Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to thank me.”

She paused for a moment and then looked down before looking back over at him.

“You’re like the brother that I always wanted but never had. Growing up, I was always lonely. All my friends would always complain about their brothers or sisters, saying how annoying they were, how they were always taking their shit, how they wished they didn’t have siblings.”

Camila chuckled quietly to herself and shook her head. Angel looked over at her, brows knitted as he could hear the change in her voice.

“And yet when I was little, I would go to bed at night, I would say my prayers and ask God for one. At least one. I didn’t want to be greedy, asking for a bunch of brothers and sisters or something because I thought then he wouldn’t let me have one. So, I would ask for only one. Ask him to give me a sibling that would annoy me and take my stuff like the other kids had. Then as I got older, I wanted one for a different reason. I just wanted someone that I could count on, that way I knew I’d never be alone. But that never happened.”

Her voice trailed off and Angel stayed looking at her, a deep frown line between his knitted brows as he felt his heart ache for her. She was quiet, lost in her own thoughts as she looked down at the floor and when she finally looked back up at him, he saw the tears in her eyes. She smiled anyway and turned to face him completely, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall.

“You guys accepted me, let me in when you didn’t have to. You showed me love when you didn’t have to. You look out for me and tease me just like I imagined my brother would have, I had one. So don’t thank me, Angel. I should be thanking you.”

The older Reyes brother stayed looking at her for a moment before reaching out to her and pulling her into a hug. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her, Camila using the knuckle of her index finger to dab at the corner of her eye.

“Sorry.”

Shaking his head, Angel tossed his cigarette down onto the concrete, snubbing it out with the heel of his boot. He turned then and tossed an arm over Camila’s shoulder, tugging her into his side and running his hand along her upper arm as they were heading back inside.

“Come on, EZ said you made a bangin’ tres leche.”

Back inside, Felipe and EZ had finished with the dishes and Felipe was just now pulling her cake out of the fridge, placing it down onto the counter. She smiled as the two looked back at her and Angel, Felipe handing her a knife and plates before turning to get spoons. EZ’s eyes stayed focused on her though, something about her feeling off. He watched as she cut into the cake and took out a slice, using a spoon to drizzle an extra spoonful of the milk over the top of the cake. She handed that first piece to Felipe and he took it from her, heading into the living room with his plate. She did the same for Angel, handing him his plate and he left as well, only her and EZ left in the kitchen now. With concern in his eyes, EZ stood beside her and placed a hand on her lower back, looking down at her as she served him a piece.

“Estas bien, mi amor?”

Camila looked up at him then, a sincere smile on her face and she nodded. She reached up with her left hand, placing it onto his cheek.

“I’m great, Ezekiel. I promise.”

EZ nodded though not entirely convinced, able to see the slight redness in her eyes and he swallowed, praying that Angel hadn’t done or said anything stupid while they were outside.

“Ok, baby.”

She cut a slice for him and handed it to him, then got one for her, both heading to the living room to eat with the others.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EZ pulled into Camila’s driveway right behind her, pulling his bike up to the side while she finished parking. He took off his helmet and hung it on the handlebar, looking at her as she stepped out of the car and walked around it, slowly striding to the walkway leading to her front door. EZ hopped off the bike and came to stand beside her, reaching out to take her hand. She squeezed his back and walked up to her front door with him slowly, turning around to face him as she stuck her key in the door and unlocked it. With a nod into the house and a bashful smile, Camila tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“I was thinking you could come in. Maybe…spend the night?”

EZ smiled lovingly and nodded, bringing his hands up to grip the side of his kutte as he followed her into her home for the second time today. This morning he had stopped by to have breakfast with her at her request, but something about this felt different. She had asked him to accompany her home when they’d left Felipe’s house and he’s thought something about her seemed different. Now he knew why. He walked into her home and reached for the light switch in her kitchen, flipping it and watching as her humble home was illuminated. Clean, neat, welcoming and smelled like vanilla, just like her. He pulled off his kutte and hung it on the back of the kitchen counter stool while she locked the doors behind them. Turning around she tossed her purse onto the counter and pointed to the couch.

“You can chill, find a movie or something. I’m gonna go change and I’ll be back.”

EZ nodded and leaned down to kiss her as she walked past him towards her room. He kicked off his boots and dropped them by the door before going to her couch and sitting, grabbing the remote. He searched around, not really finding anything worth watching when he felt her hand on his shoulder, Camila walking around the back of the couch and coming to sit down beside him. He patted his chest and she smiled, leaning over to rest her head on him, his arm wrapping around her waist. He moved his thumb back and forth over her side as she rested against him and looked down at her.

“Did anything happen today? While you were outside with Angel?”

Camila shook her head, tilting her head to look up at him.

“Nope. Why?”

EZ shrugged and kept up the motion up his thumb.

“It looked like you had been crying maybe, I just want to make sure he didn’t say anything to make you upset.”

Camila pulled away entirely now to get a full look at him, her brows pulled together in confusion at the slight edge his voice had taken on. When she looked at him, she saw his jaw tense, his teeth clenched in his mouth no doubt. She shook her head again, starting to get an understanding of why it seemed Angel’s self-confidence wasn’t the highest.

“We were just having a heart to heart. He was thanking me for being nice to him.”

Camila kept quiet for a moment, not missing the slight wince EZ gave at her words. Gauging his reaction, she continued.

“I told him how I enjoyed having him around. How I had always wanted a sibling, all that other shit.”

She waved her hand in a dismissive motion.

“I cry easily sometimes, that’s all.”

EZ laughed and nodded.

“Sorry. I just figured you had been upset and I wanted to know why.”

Camila smiled and then sat up, standing and making her way into the kitchen.

“Coffee?”

“Please.”

EZ watched her as she walked further into the kitchen, his eyes glued to her ass. He’d been with women since he’d gotten out, but he hadn’t felt a craving like this in a while. Emily hadn’t crossed his mind in weeks, Camila the only thought running through his brain anymore it seemed. He looked back at the tv, trying to get into the show but he couldn’t focus, and he looked back into the kitchen, Camila on her tippy toes as she got the jar of coffee down from the cabinet shelf. He raked his eyes over her, a loose-fitting sleep dress on her body now instead of the tank top and shorts from before. Feeling his jeans seemingly getting tighter, he stood from the couch himself and swaggered his way over to her, coming up behind her. She giggled as she felt his hands slide around her, moving up and down her sides. He pressed his chest against her back, getting as close to her as possible. She turned her head to eye him over her shoulder.

“You happy to see me?”

It took him a moment but then he laughed, grinding into her gently as he leaned forward, his lips against her ear, his voice husky.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

His hands gripped her a bit tighter now, his right one moving to her front and gliding over her tummy. He leaned into her more and kissed behind her ear, moving his lips along the side of her neck until they were on the back of her neck and going down her shoulder. He kissed and kissed, moving along, trying to fine-tune his ears to hear if she made a different noise. He caught the sharp intake of her breath when he got to the middle of her upper back, kissing along her spine. He kissed slower then, savoring the higher pitch of her breathing as he did and committing that spot to his memory. Tonight, he was going to memorize every square inch of her body and what made her tick. He took her long hair into his hand, gently pulling it to the side to expose her back entirely, kissing along the bare skin. His other hand came up to push the thin strap of her nighty down off her shoulder, a quiet whine sounding from her as he sucked on the skin over her shoulder blade. Camila arched her back into him, her arm lifting and her hand reaching behind her, resting on the back of his head.

“EZ.”

The lust and neediness of her voice had him groaning and he reluctantly pulled his mouth away from her, his hands turning her around to face him. She looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, her hands running over his chest while hers heaved.

“I really want you, Ezekiel.”

The Mayan nodded, his hands coming forward to grasp hers and bring them up to his mouth, kissing the back of them.

“Where’s your room?”

Camila swallowed and nodded over towards the hallway, her eyes focused on his mouth still.

“This way.”

EZ nodded and released one of her hands, allowing her to lead him towards her bedroom. Walking in, she motioned to the bed and then tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. It didn’t stay there for long though, EZ’s hands on the sides of her head, cradling her face as he pressed his lips against hers. She melted into him and allowed him to walk her backward toward the bed. She sat down when she felt the mattress at the back of her knees, their lips getting pulled from each others. EZ used the time to pull his shirt over his head, a smile coming to his face as Camila’s eyes gazed over his chest and stomach. She blushed when she saw him watching her and bit her lip, EZ reaching down with a smirk, his hands working at his belt. The jingle of the buckle had Camila’s eyes fluttering in anticipation, watching as his jeans dropped down to pool at his feet, only his black briefs concealing him now. He reached down and rubbed himself as he climbed onto the bed with her.

He reached out and placed his hands on the hem of her nighty, tugging at it gently and waiting for her permission. She smiled softly and nodded, raising her arms above her head as he pulled the fabric from her body. He tossed it to the side and locked his eyes on her breasts, her nipples hard as she leaned back. EZ groaned softly and she laughed, reaching out for him. He moved forward and crawled over her, his body hovering over hers as she laid back, her hair splaying over the pillow. His mouth was on her chest then as his hand grabbed hers, holding them and pulling them above her head. Camila moaned as he kissed along the underside of her breast, his tongue snaking out to flick against her nipple. He smiled when her back arched into him and he did it again, suckling at the small bud this time. She whined in the back of her throat then, her hand squeezing his and he spoke softly against her breast.

“Sensitive?”

She nodded and looked down at him as best as she could.  

“Very.”

EZ nodded himself and kept the eye contact.

“Good to know.”

He kept his mouth busy on her nipple as his hand drifted down between their bodies, his knuckle rubbing against the fabric of her panties. She didn’t give much of a reaction at first, but her tiny gasp was music to his ears as he pressed his knuckle further, pressing against her clit through the thin material. She whined as he pulled away and he hushed her, sitting up and reaching for the waistband of her panties, starting to pull them down her legs.

“Shhh, patience baby.”

She nodded and pulled her hands down from above her head, holding them together on her chest as she lifted her hips up to help him get them off. Once they were off her body EZ tossed them behind him not concerned with where they ended up. The only thing he cared about at the moment was Camila, her legs spread, her entire body exposed bare to his eyes and he reached forward, running the tip of his index finger over her lips, eliciting both a sharp breath and a slight jump at the contact.

“Please, Ezekiel.”

He wanted to drag it out, tease and explore, learn everything there was to know about her body, but the desperation in her voice, the silent plea for him was too much to ignore. He knew he would have plenty of other chanced to learn her body and find all her weaknesses, but right now she needed him, and he was going to give her whatever she wanted from him.

He shimmied his body down, coming to rest between her legs, his face inches away from her pelvis and he began kissing along her abdomen. He wrapped his hands under her legs, coming up to hold onto her sides as he kissed her hips, his tongue leaving a trail on her skin that made her shiver. His mouth worked down to her inner thighs, getting her ready and taking just enough time. When her hips started pushing towards him and relented and pressed his mouth against her, kissing her clit gently. She sighed as he kissed her pussy with the same adoration, he kissed her mouth, her hands instinctively going down to cradle his head. He moaned into her as she lightly scratched her nails along his scalp and the top of his shoulders. EZ ground himself into the bed, needing some form of friction and Camila noticed, pulling at him.

“I can’t wait anymore, baby.”

EZ’s eyes locked with hers and he nodded, crawling back up her body and pushing his briefs down, kicking them off. Camila’s hands were warm on his sides as she held him, EZ holding himself up with one arm and reaching down to grip himself with the other. Camila smiled and pointed over to the nightstand, EZ knowing exactly what she was trying to tell him. He pulled the drawer open, grabbed a condom from the box and peeled it open, rolling it onto himself. He settled himself back over Camila and took hold of himself, running his tip along her lips, tapping against her clit every time he got back to the top. He spread her wetness and then rested himself against her opening, bring his arm back to hold himself up.

“You ready, querida?”

Their eyes met and she gave a small smile, nodding at him.

“Been ready for like, 3 weeks.”

They both shared a laugh and EZ started to push into her slowly, watching her facial expression. Her laughter died off and the smile was replaced with her mouth opening slightly, her brows knitted.

“Am I hurting you?”

Shaking her head, she squeezed at his sides.

“It’s just…you’re…”

EZ chuckled and nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead before resting his against hers. He pushed again, slower this time and entered her, Camila gasping softly. Her eyes slipped closed and so did EZ’s, his body shuddering at the tightness and warmth of her.

“Fuck, Cam.”

She didn’t say anything, just held onto him, adjusting. He gave her time, feeling her hips move against his and he started to thrust into her gently, cursing quietly. His speed picked up quickly, her hands now gripping his shoulders, her hips pushing up to meet his thrusts. She was used to the thickness of him now, her head lifting up slightly to look down at there they were joined. EZ looked down as well, watching with her as he pulled out then disappeared inside of her, buried to the hilt and she threw her head back.

“You feel so fucking good, Ezekiel.”  

He smirked then, his hand going back down to between their bodies, his thumb starting to rub circles over her clit, knowing he wasn’t going to let her sleep until way into the morning hours. 


	14. Chapter 14

“Good morning, mami.”

Camila turned around and looked behind her to find EZ walking toward her, jeans hanging low on his hips, no shirt. She threw him a smile and turned her body to face him slightly. EZ looked her over, a new baby blue nightie on her body as she stood at the stove, hand folding up some scrambled eggs. He walked over to her and took her head in his hands, pressing a kiss to her right temple.

“Good morning, Corazon.”

She smiled into the kiss, still getting used to receiving affection from EZ and knowing that he was hers just as much as she was his. It was a breath of fresh air, belonging to him and consequently belonging within his life. That included both his blood family and the MC who had shown her nothing but love since she had been introduced to them. She was sure there was more to is than just guys that enjoyed riding and hanging out together but she also always gauged people on how they made her feel and so far, she had felt nothing but acceptance so that was exactly what she was going to give in return.

“I was thinking maybe you could swing by the clubhouse later on if you didn’t have any plans. Taza and Tranq were wanting to ask about maybe buying some vegetables from you.”

Camila smiled and nodded at EZ pointing to the seagrass basket that she always used in the garden to hold the harvest.

“Since you’ll be there with them before me, ask them what they want and let me know. I’ll bring it with me when I go over.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The two shared a kiss and EZ pulled away, letting her finish up with breakfast while he went and poured himself of a cup of coffee from the pot. Looking down at the counter, he saw a couple of scattered grounds of the coffee and he quietly began to laugh to himself, Camila hearing him anyway and looked over.

“What’s so funny?”

He laughed for a second more before pointing to the counter. Camila’s eyes locked on the black specks and laughed herself, shaking her head softly.

“Yeah, I had to clean it up this morning. Totally forgot I was even making coffee when we started,”

She trailed off and made a motion with her hand, EZ starting to smirk as he reached out to her.

“When we started what? Hmm?”

His hand reached up and he ran his index finger down her sternum between her breasts.

Camila laughed and pulled away from him, waving her finger.

“Let me finish up this breakfast. I’m not letting you go out to the clubhouse on an empty stomach.”

The air of lust evaporated and all that EZ could feel then was adoration, loving how nurturing she could be and how naturally it came to her to look after him. That tenderness was something he hasn’t experienced since his mother, since Emily. That warmth had become a thing of the past once Marisol had gotten killed and Emily had left. Facing life, he had accepted that those would simply be memories he would cling to, convinced he’d never get it again. Yet there he stood, in Camila’s kitchen as she made him breakfast after a long night of making love and treating him like a king. He hadn’t ever expected that he would be able to experience that again and now that he had, he wasn’t going to do anything to ruin it.

Taking his cup of coffee in his hand, he took a sip before putting it back down onto the counter.

“I’m gonna go finish getting dressed. I’ll be back down to eat in a minute.”

Camila nodded, blushing when he threw her a wink as he walked away. He disappeared into her bedroom, getting ready to head to the clubhouse for the day. Camila left the eggs alone to cook and then walked over to the toaster, peering in to check on the bread she was toasting. Opening the fridge, she pulled out the tub of butter, hearing EZ’s phone buzzing over on the table. She closed the fridge door and placed the tub of butter on the counter, grabbing plates from the drying rack to serve them on, hearing his phone still buzzing.

“Babe, your phone.”

Camila called out to EZ as she started to serve them, getting no response. She looked over at the phone, the screen lit up and vibrating on the wood of her table. She finished placing the scrambled eggs onto the plate and walked over to the table, looking down at the screen.

“Unknown.”

The call ended, the phone showing that there was one missed call and eventually a voicemail. Turning away from the phone as the toast popped up, she grabbed them and placed them onto the plates just as EZ came back out, dressed in the same close he had been wearing yesterday.  He smiled as he saw her, and she pointed over to the phone and started to spread butter on the warm bread.

“Someone was calling you.”

EZ picked up the phone and looked at the screen, his smile fading slightly and his brows knitting for a moment. No one knew his number unless they got it from someone in the club. Or his P.O. He unlocked the phone and started listening to the voicemail as Camila placed their breakfast down onto the table. She poured them some orange juice as EZ finished listening to the voicemail, looking down at his phone and saving the number as new contact under ‘E.T.’ before locking his phone and putting it down.

“Everything ok?”

He smiled at Camila and nodded.

“Everything’s fine, baby.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wow.”

Camila smiled as Tranq and Taza looked over the tomatoes and peppers she had brought them.

“How much for these, nena?”

Camila shook her head, her smile still ever present.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy you like them.”

Taza smiled but still shook his head, fishing into his kutte to pull out some cash before handing it over to her, closing her fingers around the bills.

“We would be paying if we went anywhere else. Take the money.”

She nodded and squeezed his hands thankfully.

“Anytime you guys want something else, just let me know. Or EZ. You could come over and pick the ones you want too. Just in case you want something different.”

The two older Mayans grinned at her, Tranq speaking now.

“We might just take you up on that, Camila.”

From El Templo, Bishop whistled, and the members turned to file into the room one by one. As Angel passed her, he pointed at her then at the couch.

“Wait up for us. Me, Gilly, and Coco are gonna go out for lunch,”

He leaned over to slap EZ in the shoulder softly.

“And we want you to go. The prospect can tag along too, I guess.”

EZ rolled his eyes as both his girl and his older brother laughed, Angel disappearing into the room as the door was slid closed behind them. Camila turned then to EZ and pointed towards the door.

“You don’t have to go in too? I can wait by myself if they need you.”

EZ laughed himself then with somewhat of a scoff thrown in.

“Nah. I’m not allowed.”

He reached up and pointed to the prospect patch on his chest.

“Remember?”

“Ahh. Right.”

They both shared a smile as Camila recalled what EZ had been talking about a couple of days ago when he had brought her a little more into the circle at Angel’s request.

_‘At some point, she’s gonna wonder why you just dip out sometimes when you’re with her. You gotta tell her what that patch means so she doesn’t take it personal. You know how women can be.’_

And so he’d had the conversation with her, explaining how by becoming a prospect, he’d damn near signed over his rights like if he was back in prison. When they called, he came. No matter the time, where he was, or what he was doing. She had nodded in understanding then, a look in her eyes that had made EZ nervous. Her words hadn’t helped.

_‘The Club comes first.’_

It hadn’t been a question. Merely a statement of what she was learning to be true. That she was important to him and he loved her, but when the club needed him, he was going to be there. There was no saying no. She could understand and respect that, the only condition she had given EZ at the end of that conversation had been that he didn’t make her look stupid.

_‘Don’t lie to me, Ezekiel. I’m putting my trust in you. I’ll be there for you and with you. Anything that’s going on, just tell me. Even if you think I won’t want to hear it. I’ll hold you down. Just don’t make me look stupid.’_

He had agreed, with his heart in his throat. He knew he had a lot of truth that he had hidden, not only from her but from everyone. He knew he wasn’t lying to her outright, but he was withholding the truth and that still made him feel guilty. He hadn’t dwelled on it though and he had ended the conversation with his lips on hers as they made out on her couch. Now they were here at the clubhouse, Camila looking around at the photos on the wall and the statue of La Virgen at the entrance. She walked up close, running her index finger over the hem of her dress tenderly, a soft smile on her face as she looked over the statue. EZ came up behind her and smiled at her reaction, reaching over to leave a kiss on the veil. Camila looked back at him and he turned her around to face him, hands glued to her hips as they always seemed to be.

“You’re coming with us for lunch, right?”

She nodded and smoothed her hands down the front of his kutte, looking up at him.

“Of course. Unless you think it’s best if I don’t.”

The younger Reyes brother shook his head quickly, that signature smile on his face.

“I want you with me every second we have.”

Her giggle was soft, and she leaned forward to kiss his chest, a habit of hers EZ had picked up on.

“Then I’ll be there.”

They continued talking quietly together passing the time until the sound of the gavel slamming could be heard from inside, the Mayans slowly pouring out back into the main area. Angel smiled as he saw Camila and EZ, Coco and Gilly directly behind him who smiled at her too. Angel looked back at Bishop and motioned a thumbs up to the President who gave a smile and returned the signal.

“Enjoy your lunch. Be careful out there. Keep your head on a swivel.”

The members nodded and Bishop sent a friendly wink at Camila as the group walked out of the clubhouse, Angel holding the door open for everyone as they walked out. Letting the door close ones everyone was outside, Angel reached into his kutte and pulled out his pack of cigarettes.

“So. Where we going?”

The group deliberated as Angel lit up, Coco recommending a food truck a couple blocks away.

“You ever been there?”

Camila shook her head as Coco questioned her and he smiled as Angel made an exaggerated gasp.

“You haven’t eaten at Francisco’s truck yet?”

Camila shook her head once again and Angel did too, motioning for them to get moving.

“Nah, you gotta try it. Let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Pop knows we’re coming?”

EZ nodded as Angel questioned him, both pulling off their helmets and hanging them on their handlebars.

“Yeah. He said he’s cleaning up the room in the back, mopping and shit. I told him we’d be by late.”

Angle nodded in response to his brother and then threw his arm over his shoulders as they walked up. Angel looked over his baby brother as they walked into the shop, his eyes squinting.

“Isn’t that the same outfit you had on yesterday?”

EZ looked back at Angel and then down at his clothes.

“Oh, uh. Yeah.”

Angel nodded and kept eyeing him, knowing the EZ was never one for poor hygiene.

“And you’re still wearing them because…”

EZ shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I stayed with Cam last night. I didn’t have any extra clothes.”

Angel nodded again, a smirk working onto his face.

“Huh. All this time you’ve been fucking, and you still haven’t brought an extra pair of clothes to her house?”

Angle scoffed and shook his head at his baby brother, pulling out a chair and sitting at the small table while they waited for Felipe.

“You gotta get it together, homie.”

It was EZ who scoffed this time, shaking his own head at Angel.

“It isn’t like that, not that it’s any of your business. Last night was the first time I stayed the full night with her.”

Angel was quiet now, his brows knitted.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The older Reyes brother nodded, staying silent for a couple of seconds as his eyes stayed glued to EZ.

“You love her.”

EZ looked up, eyes locking with Angel’s as he eventually nodded.

“Yeah. I do.”

Angel laughed quietly, messing with his beard.

“I know you do. I can see it in you, so can Coco. He read you like a book today. We can see how happy she makes you. You look at her like the sun shines out of her ass.”

The two laughed together quietly and Angel picked back up again.

“You’re good together. You went through a lot of shit in this last decade. Mom, jail…Emily.”

Angel paused toward the end, not wanting to elicit the wrong response. He knew how touchy EZ could be about the situation and everything that went down with her and he didn’t want to turn the conversation into a fight.

“You’ve been through a lot and I can see that Cam loves you. You take care of her, you gotta let her take care of you too. I know after Emily, you didn’t know if you were gonna get another shot at a family or whatever. I think maybe this is your chance.”

EZ kept his eyes on Angel’s as he spoke, knowing he was telling the truth, even if it was weird that it was coming from him. Angel stayed looking at him for a couple of seconds more before he smiled genuinely and slapped his hand on the tabletop, Felipe coming out from the back of the store.

“Now start leaving some clothes at her place so you don’t run around in the same shit.”

Felipe made his way to his two sons patting them both on the tops of their heads. He looked out the window and saw only their bikes.

“Y Camila?”

EZ shook his head, both brothers smiling as they saw even he was getting used to having her around.

“She went home, she was kinda tired. She spent the day with us for lunch and then at the clubhouse. She said she would drop by tomorrow morning, come and see you.”

Felipe nodded and gave a quick smile before motioning to the back door.

“Well, I’m ready to go. Just help me lock everything up and turn the lights off.”

The boys agreed and stood, helping their father close up shop before they headed home with him for a quick couple of beers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Felipe looked toward Camila and raised the plate of toast.

“Mantequilla?”

The brunette nodded and took another sip of her coffee, watching as Felipe grabbed the butter as well and walked over to where she sat.

He placed them both down onto the table in front of her, handing her the butter knife and then taking a seat beside her. She took the knife from his hand and began spreading the butter as Felipe spoke.

“I heard your garden had been blooming.”

She smiled and nodded, handing him back the knife and taking a bite out of her toast.

“Yeah. The sun was been out so much. It’s hot as hell but at least that’s one good thing about it. I brought some vegetables to the guys in the MC, figured they could come by one day, maybe pick some stuff out themselves. You should come by again too. Pick out whatever you want, stay for dinner again. Or maybe we could cook something up together. Like all of us, you, me, EZ and Angel. We call all cook together and make dinner.”

Felipe nodded and pursed his lips as he finished his piece of toast, wiping at his mouth with his napkin.

“Not a bad idea, mija. Just tell me when.”

Camila smiled and finished her piece of toast as well, both of them sharing a laugh as a blob of butter fell and hit the table. He handed her another napkin and she wiped it from the table, finishing off the coffee that was in her cup as well. She leaned back in her chair and patted her hands on her thighs.

“Bueno, I gotta get going. Mr. Salvatore let me come in later this morning. I’ll be back before I go home though, I need more chicken breasts.”

The older man nodded and stood, Camila standing with him.

“I’ll have it ready for you when you come.”

She grabbed her purse and took the two steps toward him, wrapping her arms around him.

“Thanks for the breakfast, Felipe. Cuidate.”

“Igual, nena.”

They released each other from their embrace and then pulled away, Camila walking toward the door and waving at Felipe on her way out. She squinted in the bright morning sun, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes as she walked down the block to the bookstore. She was 3 doors down when a man hopped out of the driver’s seat of a truck parked by the curb. She started walking towards her slowly and she looked up, giving a smile. As she got closer though, the sun wasn’t blinding her as much and her smile melted away, her eyes recognizing the man now.

“Camila,”

“Kevin.”

She kept walking at the same pace, KJ coming to stand at her side and walk with her.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

It was odd to her, not to ask how he was in return. She wasn’t used to not inquiring when people greeted her, but she remembered what EZ had told her. How he was just using EZ and trying to gain information. How he would use her. She remembered how uncomfortable and irritated Felipe had looked when he had gone into the shop that one time. How he made her promise she wouldn’t get caught up with him, how she wouldn’t let him suck her in. She didn’t want to be rude, but she trusted EZ and Felipe a hell of a lot more than she would ever trust this man and she abided by their warnings.

“Look, I can’t talk. I have to get to work.”

“I know, I know.”

He continued walking with her though, digging into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a folded-up piece of paper.

“I just wanted to ask you something.”

“No.”

Camila kept walking, close to the door of the bookstore now and she reached for the handle, Kevin gently placing a hand on her forearm so as not to scare her.

“Look, just take a look at his picture real quick. That’s all I ask.”

With a huff, she relented, letting go of the handle and facing Kevin without an ounce of warmth in her face. Kevin lifted the printed picture to Camila, a blown-up image on the paper.

“Do you know who this is?”

Camila looked over the woman in the photo, the blonde hair and fancy handbag, the Versace heels, the elegance and sophistication in her aura. The picture was taken some ways away, her facial features not crystal clear, but Camila could recognize the woman vaguely. She had been into the bookstore two maybe three weeks prior and the more Camila looked at the picture, she could remember her also from a restaurant she and EZ had gone to when they had first started dating.

“I’ve seen her before.”

KJ nodded and brought the picture down folding it back up.

“Yeah, but do you know who she is?”

Camila shook her head then, her eyes watching him apprehensively as Kevin tucked the paper back into his pocket, looking back at her.

“That’s Emily Thomas.” 


	15. Chapter 15

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

Camila smiled as she heard Mr. Salvatore’s voice speaking behind her. She turned away from the shelf she was stocking and took hold of the hand he was holding out to her.

“I’m great, Mr. Salvatore. How’ve you been? How did this last appointment go?”

The old man smiled against softly, leading her to the front desk by the hand. He released it when they got the and pointed to the seat beside the one he took a seat on. Camila sat with furrowed brows as she wondered what he was going to say.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about, dear. My heart is getting worse the doctor says. He doesn’t think I should be working as much as I do, which I know you and Sandra are telling me all the time.”

He held his hands up as she gave a soft chuckle, Camila nodding so as to tell him I told you so.

“Anyway, I think I ought to listen. I decided that I’ll be cutting back some. Maybe come in a couple of days out of the week. Most likely weekends. I don’t do much on the weekends anyhow, but I know you young kids like to go out and have fun on your weekends. I’ve spoken with Sandra and she agrees that you’ve been a tremendous help around here and we both trust you. The customers love you, you always make sure things are running smoothly even when it’s not your job. So, Sandra and I have decided that so long as you are ok with it and would enjoy the promotion, we think it would be a good choice to have you be the manager. We’ve never really had a manager before, me doing the main bulk of the managing and Sandra helping where needed. It’s always been more of a shared thing but now with me stepping back, Sandra and I agree that letting you step in would be in the best interest of all of us.”

Camila stared at her boss with wide eyes, both shocked and honored at the proposition. She shook her head, unable to find words and Mr. Salvatore grinned, reaching over to rest a hand on her shoulder.

“Take the next couple of days and think about it. I know you’ve gotten settled here so I think it’s safe to say that you’ll be sticking around. It’ll bring in some more money for you, help you save up for the future. Think about it and then let me know. No worries if you’d rather stay with things as they are.”

Camila took hold of the old man’s hands in hers, looking down at the contrast between the smooth, supple skin of hers and the wrinkled, thin skin of his. He was getting older and it was only fair for him to start taking it easy. She nodded and squeezed his hands gratefully, him returning the squeeze.

“I’ll think it over and get back to you.”

“We’ll be waiting, sweetheart.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Angel swallowed his mouthful of coffee, and tilted his head side to side, lips pursed.

“I think you should do it. It sounds like a good thing. Get you some extra cash, you get to move up the ladder. You’re smart, good at making decisions. I say you should do it.”

Camila nodded as she listened to Angel, him suddenly holding his hands up in defense.

“But if it turns out that you fuckin’ hate it, it’s not my fault. I’m just saying.”

Camila laughed and shook her head, Angel smiling himself as he watched some of the tension melt away from her shoulders. He knew she was nervous, apprehensive of what the change would mean, and he just wanted to help. She nodded softly, more to herself than to him and then leaned back in her chair, the air lighter now.

“So, how’ve you been? You cooking more now?”

Angel nodded and leaned forward on the table, arms crossed and elbows resting as he smiled.

“Yeah, I have. I made dinner a couple of times. I use EZ and Coco as the guinea pigs.”

They both laughed together and then a silence fell over them, both lost in their thoughts. The information Kevin had told Camila was weighing on her mind. She had recognized the woman whose name she now knew was Emily. First from the restaurant and then the bookstore. The time at the restaurant she knew that EZ had recognized her, remembered her, knew her. She had been able to see it in his eyes. Now finding out that she was his ex, it made sense why he had lied. Why would you want to bring up your ex on a date with a girl you were trying to get with? She wasn’t upset at EZ, she didn’t feel angry or betrayed. She felt confused. Emily simply being an ex of EZ’s wasn’t important to her, she was aware that there were women before her. Her issue stemmed from the fact that she couldn’t help but feel that Emily was more important that just an ex. Why would Kevin have bothered to give that shred of truth? It did nothing for Camila. He’d simply showed her the picture, told her that she used to be with EZ as high school sweethearts and wanted to know what Camila knew about her. She had ended it quickly, telling him that she knew nothing about the woman and to leave her alone. He had seemed a bit frustrated but left it at that, telling her to have a good day before he stalked off back to his truck and drove off.

Now she was thinking about telling Angel to see if he could shed some light on Kevin and exactly what he was trying to achieve. She could remember EZ telling her to keep it between them though and she stayed quiet, sparking the conversation back up on another topic.

“So EZ said to stop by the clubhouse tonight.”

Angel looked back up at Camila and smiled, nodding.

“Yeah. Nothing crazy, just some music, drinking, talking shit. The usual. You should definitely come.”

Camila agreed and smiled taking a sip of her coffee.

“I’ll be there.”

“Good. Then EZ can stop sulking around like a little puppy because he misses you.”

The two laughed, Camila giving a bashful smile.

“I miss him when he’s not around too.”

Angel made a show of fake gagging making Camila laugh, her landing a swat to his arm.

“Oh, fuck off.”

“It’s true. You two make me sick. I’m still waiting on that nephew though.”

Felipe’s shop was filled with their laughter and he smiled as he sliced some meat, simply listening to their banter. It was nice seeing Angel interact with her, having a friend that was a good influence, getting him to open up. He had retreated within himself some as a teenager, closing up even more after Marisol’s death. Felipe was happy that he had a female figure around now that he felt he could trust, almost like a big sister even though she was a good handful of years younger than him. Felipe was thankful for Camila and the difference she had made in their lives so far. He just hoped that it would last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

“Kevin stopped me again today.”

EZ’s hand that was resting on her thigh squeezed at her words, his jaw immediately tensing. Camila shook her head and rested her hand atop his.

“It’s ok. I didn’t tell you so you could get mad. I just know you said to always tell you when I see him.”

EZ nodded and tried to relax, his eyes locked on hers.

“What did he say? What did he want?”

She rubbed her hand on the back of his.

“He showed me a picture of Emily Thomas. He wanted to know what I knew about her.”

Whatever tension had left from EZ’s body came back full force and Camila winced.

“He told me that she was your ex. I told him that I didn’t even know that. I didn’t tell him anything, I told him to go away.”

EZ relaxed some and gave a heavy sigh, but she could still feel the anger and apprehension coming off on him and she squeezed his hand, drawing his attention toward her.

“I’m not mad. I just…want to know what’s going on. Why does Kevin care what I know? Why does he want me to know who your ex is?”

EZ could feel the tips of his ears getting red, pissed of beyond belief that KJ was once again, getting involved in his business and bringing Camila into something she shouldn’t be worried about. His father’s words rang in his ears and he while he had wanted to hold off for as long as possible, he was starting to see that, as always, Felipe had been right. If he didn’t start sharing more of the truth with her, it was going to push her away. That was the last thing he wanted.

“I…”

EZ trailed off, not sure how much he should tell her, Camila’s furrowed brows and worried eyes weren’t making him feel any better.

“I have some bad shit that has happened in my past, something that I’ve done…things that I’m not proud of. I didn’t mean to, but KJ is using that against me to make me…”

He huffed out a shaky breath and Camila hushed him, taking his head in her hands and bringing him to rest against her chest, EZ’s eyes clipping closed at the contact. He relaxed into her, arms wrapping around her waist as she held him to her, running her hand along the back of his head.

“It’s ok, baby. I understand. It’s ok.”

Camila could feel the tension slowly releasing from EZ’s body as he relaxed into her, her hands so warm as they held his head. EZ’s face was squished against her breast and he found himself both shocked and confused at how understanding she was being, how patient she was being and how she was trusting him. Sure, he hadn’t given the full details, about accidentally shooting the cop or that he had taken a deal, but Camila understood the basics anyway. That he had made a huge mistake and now that mistake was being used against him to use him for something greater. The new bit in information made Camila angry, knowing that someone as sweet as EZ was being used by a system that was put in place to try and protect people. She understood then why EZ was so secretive, why Kevin was trying in vain to make EZ look bad, in hopes that she would turn. It wasn’t going to work though, Camila’s loyalty to EZ and his family grew day by day.

Camila leaned back on EZ’s couch some, still holding him to her and went with her, his body resting atop hers. She pulled at the leather of his kutte and she arched his arms back, letting her pull it from his frame and toss it onto the tabletop. Her hands made their way back to him, one on the back of his head again, the other on his back, running up and down. He groaned as she scratched every now and then through his white tee, his head comfortable on her breasts as he held her. There was nothing sexual, nothing raunchy running through his head as it had so many times before when he was this close to her. Now all he felt was comfort. He felt safe and relaxed like there was a weight lifted when she was holding him like this. It wasn’t often that he let people look after him, so used to doing it for others. Between the years he was down and then now being a prospect, being dotted on wasn’t something he was used to, and he’d have been lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. He closed his eyes and snuggled into her chest further.

“You have what you’re wearing to El Padrino’s event?”

He felt Camila nod, her nurturing hands still holding him.

“I have three outfits picked out, I figured I’d let you decide for me.”

EZ nodded against her and lifted his head up some, locking eyes with her.

“I’ll pick one of them tomorrow.”

Camila smiled and EZ did too, loving to see how her face lit up whenever she did. He sat up some and pressed his lips to hers, that soft laugh that he had come to love sounding from her. His eyes bore into hers and slowly her smile slipped away as she saw the intensity of his gaze.

“Te amo, Camila.”

Her smile came back almost instantly then, and she leaned forward to rub the tip of her nose against his.

“Te amo, Ezekiel.”

He shuddered softly and gave a breathless laugh.

“It’s embarrassing how it makes me feel when you say my name like that.”

Camila shook her head and tapped his chest with her finger.

“It’s not embarrassing to be loved.”

EZ kept his eyes trained on hers and then sat up, standing from the couch and holding his hand out to her.

“Let’s get you home.”


	16. Chapter 16

“He told her about Emily. Showed her a picture. He keeps sticking his nose into everything and he made her suspicious. So, I told her. Not everything, not specifics like that I took a deal or about the cartel, but she gets the basics. She knows that my hands are tied and that’s why he’s snooping around. She knows Em is my ex, but she doesn’t know about Miguel or the cartel or anything like that. I don’t want to drive her off, but I figured if I could tell her something it would settle her.”

Felipe nodded and stayed looking at his son.

“And did it?”

EZ nodded slightly, head tilting side to side after.

“For now. But how long until something else happens that confuses her even more? What about when something doesn’t make sense and she has to ask other questions? She doesn’t push, but every time I lie, I feel like she knows. She knows when I’m not giving her the full truth and her eyes get this look. How am I ever going to tell her the full truth?”

EZ made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a scoff and looked back over at his father.

“If you were me, what would you do?”

The question caught Felipe off guard and for a second he simply stared at his son before he looked down at his hands, thinking. He knew EZ was simply wondering in the sense of Felipe putting himself in EZ’s shoes. It may seem like a valid question since he didn’t know about Ignacio or Jose or the life that Felipe had once lived, the man that he was at EZ’s age. He didn’t know about the things he had seen, the things he had done. EZ and Felipe weren’t the same type of man and for every difference between them as father and son, there were ten more when it came to Ignacio. Felipe shook his head and looked back up at EZ.

“Doesn’t matter what I would do, mijo. What matters is you and what you feel is best. Sometimes doing the right thing, isn’t always the best thing.”

EZ nodded before looking down at his shoes and Felipe did the same, speaking again.

“I won’t tell you what to do, EZ. What I will say is that if you want a future with Camila, you need to focus on building that future the right way and leave everything that happened before you went inside in the past. Nothing good comes from having those worlds collide.”

EZ stayed sitting as the bell on the door of the carniceria rang, a customer walking in. Felipe stood and made his way over to them and EZ shook himself from his thoughts, waving at his father before exiting the shop. He made his way to his bike and hopped on, fastening his helmet to his head as he got lost in his thoughts again. He loved Camila and he wanted to build a future with her, but the very second he had pulled the trigger that night years ago, his future had taken a turn and been written for him. Now with Kevin and this deal, the worry and the guilt felt like they were never going to go away. He knew Camila was invested in him but what if the truth came out before he had a chance to tell her himself? What if he never got the balls to tell her the truth and things got so far that before long, the truth wasn’t an option anymore?

EZ sighed heavily, his hands feeling shaky with anxiety and worry and for the very first time since he had gotten with Camila, he wondered to himself if it had been a mistake. If he should have just minded his business and not pursued her, not brought her into this clusterfuck that was his life. She would have been much better off. He could always break up with her, tell her that he wasn’t feeling it anymore, that it wasn’t what he thought it would be, but the mere thought of that made his heart hurt. The thought of not seeing her smile, not hearing that giggle she gave when he kissed the tip of her nose, not having her love and warmth pained him and he took a deep breath, willing himself to settle down. Camila was the only surefire thing in his life at the moment, the only thing that he knew he could really count on and he wasn’t ever going to throw that away. Reaching into his kutte, he pulled out his phone and called her, holding the phone up to his ear. He waited as it rang, and it wasn’t until he heard her voice that he realized he was holding his breath.

“Hola, mi Corazon.”

EZ blew out a soft breath and felt his lips curve up almost involuntarily.

“Hey, Cam.”

He cleared his throat as he could hear the gravel in his own voice.

“Everything ok?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.”

Camila nodded on her end, but her brows were knitted, able to tell that something was clearly off with him.

“What’s wrong, EZ?”

The prospect chuckled on his end, her caring nature able to tell so quickly.

“I’m just stressed.”

“About the club?”

EZ shook his head to himself and then looked down, running his finger absentmindedly over the paint of his bike.

“No, just…”

He trailed off and Camila picked it back up.

“I’m at home. Come by, if you can. Have a cup of coffee with me or just sit with me for a little while. You can help me decide what to wear for El Padrino’s event.”

EZ smiled and felt his anxiety already starting to settle some. They’d only been together for a little over 6 months and yet Camila had him figured out already. She offered him her comfort and love in such a way that never made him feel weak. She read him easily as if she had known him her whole life and for that, EZ was thankful.

“I’ll be there in a little bit, querida.”

Camila sighed happily on her end, not liking to hear him worried.

“I’ll be waiting. I love you.”

EZ smiled and felt giddy, still getting used to hearing her say those words.

“I love you too, Cam.”

They hung up and EZ put his phone away, tucking it away back into his kutte before starting up his bike and rolling his shoulders, setting off to go see his girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Camila opened the door just in time to find EZ standing there, fist raised prepared to knock. She smiled as soon as she saw him followed by a pout as she saw the exhaustion on his face. She reached forward on instinct, taking his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers, kissing him softly then pulling away to look up at him.

“Qué te pasa, mi amor?”

EZ sighed and so did she, releasing his face in exchange for grabbing his hand and leading him into her home. They walked together until they were at her couch and EZ sat first, spreading his legs open and holding his hands out to her which she took with a smile. She allowed him to pull her into his lap and settled there, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him to her. He turned his head to the side and rested his cheek on her chest, wrapping his arms around her middle. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent and sighed happily, already feeling himself relaxing. He tightened his grip on her, holding her closer until their fronts were completely flush when she spoke.

“Tell me what’s happening, baby. Only if you want to of course. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’m here to listen if you do. Is it about Kevin?”

EZ stayed silent but nodded against her chest.

“Is he bothering you? Or are you still mad that he came to me?”

EZ shook his head and pulled back some, looking up at her. Camila pulled away too until her arms were off of his neck and now her hands were resting on his shoulders.

“I’m mad that he keeps going after you, but I’m more annoyed that he brought up Emily. There was no reason for that shit. I never brought her up because what’s the point? It’s not important to bring her up, so I didn’t, but him doing it makes it seem like I was keeping it from you or something and I just,”

EZ let out what sounded like a growl and Camila began to rub her hands over his chest in an effort to soothe him, not being able to recall a time where he was this frustrated. He looked up at her shaking his head, nostrils flared in anger, but she simply smiled down at him.

“Don’t worry about it, EZ. I told you, I don’t care. I can take care of myself so him being creepy and trying to talk to me isn’t a problem. I can just ignore him. As far as your ex, I don’t care about that either. It’s gonna take a lot more than that to drive me away, EZ. I love you. I’m not going anywhere.”

He nodded and kept his eyes trained on hers, wanting to see her reaction.

“There’s…more to it than that.”

To EZ’s surprise, Camila nodded, running her hand over his head.

“I know.”

There were a good couple seconds of silence as EZ watched her confused. She repeated herself then elaborated.

“I know there is. And I know that you want to tell me, but you feel like you can’t. Like if you tell me, it will make things worse for the both of us. I understand. I do. I’m not gonna force you into telling me though, because that only leads to lies. When people get asked questions they don’t want to answer, they lie, and I don’t want to be lied to. I want the truth from you. Whether you give it to me now, or later, I just want the truth, Ezekiel.”

By the time she was finished speaking, the crease between EZ’s brows was deep with affliction, deeper than she’d ever seen it. His eyes looked like those of a puppy and there was pain there, she could see it. Hell, she could feel it. His frown was prominent, and she knew she had gotten through to him. His arms tightened around her waist and she began to rub his chest again, hopefully giving him the comfort and security he needed if he wanted to tell her now. She stayed quiet after that and so did he, struggling with himself over whether to tell her or not. Sighing, he allowed his eyes to close for a handful of seconds. Camila stayed quiet all the while and when he finally opened them, he found her there still looking at him with the same love and tenderness that she always had. He took a deep breath and started from the beginning, knowing it was now or never.

“When my mom was murdered, I caught a glimpse of the car of whoever did it. My memory logged it and I was so torn up about losing her and not knowing who did it or why, not having any answers, I just couldn’t let it go. So, I tracked him down and,”

He hesitated but Camila nodded, maintaining her comforting hand on his chest.

“I was going to make it right. I was going to get justice. I wasn’t going to let him get away with killing my mom. She was everything to me. She always looked out for me, made sure I was ok. She made everything work and losing her was the most painful thing I had ever been through. So, I followed him and it ended up being a foot chase. I was running after him and we started shooting. It was late and we were running through back alleys and junkyards. It was hard to see, and I was so nervous. I had never shot a gun before, much less shot it at someone. I was chasing him and I had the shot. I had it. There was this noise behind me though and I freaked, thought maybe the guy had someone with him. I thought that was going to be it, that I was gonna die there just like my mom. So I turned and I fired. I didn’t look, I just…did it.”

EZ stopped again, hanging his head in shame and shaking it, saying what he had done out loud leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. When he looked back up, he had tears in his eyes and Camila sighed, snatching him back into her arms, wrapping them around him tightly. She rubbed his back and he sniffled into her chest, the sound muffled. His hands were fisted into the back of her tank top, clinging to her like he was afraid she would leave too if he let her go. Inhaling shakily, he turned his head to the side as he spoke to her.

“I killed him, and I went to jail for it. I never meant to hurt him. I never wanted that. But I did, and it happened and I hade to pay. I was looking at life. Everything was going down the drain so fast and then they laid out a deal. I took it, and now that’s why Kevin is doing this shit. He’s got as much riding on this as I do.”

Camila stayed quiet as she listened to everything, holding her man to her chest as she did. Her cheek was resting on the top of his head while he gave her the missing pieces to the puzzle. She nodded and pulled away, taking his face in her hands again. She held him there, looking down at him, his eyes wide and full of worry as he looked up, waiting for her to say that it was too much and she wanted him to leave. All he got was her leaning down, lips pressing against his with a warmth and gentleness that soothed his every worry. He kissed him slow, passionate, the show of affection sealing what she had said earlier. She wasn’t going anywhere. EZ’s hands unwound themselves from her shirt and gripped her hips now, their lips still moving against each other. Her hands tightened on his jaw ever so slightly as the tip of her tongue snaked out shyly to lick at his bottom lip, him groaning as he felt her suck at his lip while she pulled away.

“I appreciate you telling me the truth, Ezekiel. I know it probably wasn’t easy, but you did and I’m proud of you. Thank you.”

EZ nodded and smiled up at her, feeling a weight lifted off of his shoulders after coming clean about what had landed him in jail and why Kevin was snooping. Sure, there was still the issue of the cartel and that side of things, but that was simply club business and he knew Camila would understand him keeping that to himself, so he took in a deep breath and left it at that.

“You’re welcome. I just want to be honest with you. I love you and I want this to work. I want you to feel that you can trust me.”

Camila nodded and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

“I already do trust you.”

EZ smiled again and slid his hands to her front now, running over her tummy and her sides, the thumb of his left hand stroking softly right under her breast while his other hand was playing with the hem of her tank top as he looked over at the clock on her wall.

“I got 20 minutes before I gotta get going and head back to the clubhouse.”

He left the invitation open and she grinned, bringing a hand up to her mouth as she laughed.

“And just what are you proposing we do with those 20 minutes?”

EZ’s smile morphed into a smirk and he shrugged, tilting his head as he leaned back some. He lifted his left hand higher, his thumb now resting on the slightly raised shape of her nipple through her shirt. He ran his thumb over it once again, then again, keeping his eyes trained on her all the while.

“Not sure. I was hoping maybe you had an idea.”

“Nope. Not me.”

He watched as her smile faltered, her features relaxing as she tried to maintain her composure. All it took was him pressing in his thumb to get her to crumble slightly, a quiet huff coming from her as he then pulled away.

“Oh, come on.”

EZ laughed.

“What? I thought you didn’t have anything in mind?”

She rolled her eyes and then sat up in his lap some, now more kneeling than sitting. Her raise in height now had her breasts level with his face and he stayed looking up at her the entire time, their eyes locked as she bit her lip, feeling daring. Reaching up, she hooked her thumbs into the straps of her tank top and toyed with them, pulling one down over her shoulder followed by the other until she was slowly pulling down the neckline of her top, exposing her breasts. Her long hair hung down on her chest, dark strands obstructing the view and EZ reached forward, softly brushing her hair away from her chest and off of her shoulders, trailing his finger over her collar bone. He touched her with the very edge of his fingertip, the sensation almost tickling with how feather-light it was. Camila’s face was relaxed, a playful look in her eyes as she reveled in coming out of her shell a little more. EZ’s finger continued it’s adventure, running across her chest, over to her shoulder, up the side of her neck then across the front. His touch ghosted along her chin before it landed on her bottom lip, grazing over the plump skin before dragging it down softly just to watch it spring back up into place. He went down then, his finger gliding over the light brown of her nipple, drawing a circle around it. She shuddered and EZ’s smirk was gone now, him sitting up and starting to kiss along her chest.

He moved all around, working her up, listening to the changes in her breathing. How her breaths came faster now, higher pitched, the quiet whimpers that sounded whenever he nipped at the sensitive skin along the underside of her breasts. Her hands were at his shoulders, gripping, holding. He was hard as could be, but he wanted the focus to be on her, now only 15 minutes left before he had to go. With one hand sliding down her tummy, he latched onto her breast, suckling and nipping as she threw her head back and arched, pushing herself as close to his mouth as she could get. Without missing a beat, he wrapped an arm around her and flipped, her now laying back on the couch with him hovering above her. He smiled at her little gasp but got his mouth right back on her, his hands gripping the waistband of her shorts and panties, pulling them down her legs quickly. Her eyes looked up at him in shock, then looking out the front window, the sun shining bright.

“Here?”

EZ nodded, tossing the shorts and panties to the side before climbing back on the couch to hover over her, his fingers now dancing across her lower lips.

“Here.”

Camila said nothing, looking into his eyes that were aflame with lust and nodded, settling back into the couch, her neck resting on the arm. His mouth was back on her breasts then, kissing, licking, sucking. His tongue flicked over her nipple every now and again followed by a small nip when she wasn’t expecting. The attention there paired with his thumb rubbing slow but firm circles into her clit had her hips bucking in no time. Her hands cradled EZ’s head to her, not wanting him to ever stop. She wished that they could stay like this, forever. The bucking of her hips continued and EZ checked her, making sure she was ready before he pressed his middle finger into her, watching as she arched her back off of the couch slightly. He growled at the sight, mouth still latched onto her breasts but eyes looking up at her, glued to her as he watched her reactions. His thumb kept rubbing her and soon enough she was gripping his head a little tighter, trying to pull him up to her.

“I want you to kiss me.”

EZ didn’t need to be told twice as he pulled his mouth away from her breasts and scooted up a bit, laying beside her and pressing his lips to hers, her hand immediately making its way to his jaw. He kissed her gently, just enjoying being with her away from all of the bullshit that came with his everyday life and pushed a second finger into her, crooking them up as she cursed.

“Fuck,”

Her voice was a bit raspier, scratchier he noticed, and throbbed at the sound. It crossed his mind that the ride back to the clubhouse was going to be hell with him this hard, but he wanted this to be about her. She pulled away to catch her breath, hands still on his jaw as she tossed her head back, eyes slipping closed and EZ watched her. He could feel her starting to tighten around his fingers, her hips grinding into his hand subconsciously and he pressed his lips to her cheek, leaving a couple of slow kisses there before he moved his lips over to her ear.

“Come for me, Cam. That’s it. There you go, baby. Fuck,”

He cursed, the sound of her whimpering at his words practically doing him in. She whined again and he fingered her harder, groaning at the sound of her wetness.

“Come on, preciosa. Good girl.”

She started to clench around his fingers and his voice got huskier, eyes gazing at her face. She looked like an angel and before long he was in a daze, intoxicated by her as he watched her come unraveled. The feeling of her thighs tightening around his wrist, her mouth falling open to form an O, the squeeze around his fingers, her shudder as she became overstimulated, her fingers clutching his arm to bring him to a stop. He came back to reality then and kissed along her cheek as she came down, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She leaned into his kisses, soft whines coming from her and he waited until she had stopped spasming completely before he gently pulled his fingers from her. Closing her legs, she let her eyes drift open and looked over at him before looking at the clock and pouting.

“You gotta go.”

EZ looked over himself and saw she was right, he needed to be leaving now so he would be back at the clubhouse by the time he promised. He tapped her bottom lip softly and gave her a smile.

“No pouting, I’ll come back tonight.”

At that she smiled and leaned up to give him a lazy kiss, pushing at his shoulder.

“Go, before they make you clean all the toilets for being late again.”

EZ chuckled and nodded, getting up from the couch and walking a couple of feet, grabbing her panties and shorts from their spot over on the floor. He turned back around and looked down at her, groaning as he took in the sight of her, legs spread, totally exposed with her breasts still out of her tank top, a hickey on the underside of her left one. She chuckled herself and snapped her legs closed, covering herself with her hands as well.

“Quit staring and gimme my panties!”

The prospect laughed and opened them up for her, placing them over her ankles and pulling them up her legs for her, helping her to stand and get them up her hips. He grabbed the straps of her tank top and pulled those up to, Camila covered now as he leaned down for one more kiss.

“I’ll see you tonight.”


	17. Chapter 17

“So, which one do you like best?”

Camila stepped back and motioned to the outfits laid out on her bed, EZ stepping up and looking them over. The first was a blush-toned baby pink dress, long and flowing with a deep neckline and EZ nodded, already feeling drawn to that one.

“You know I love you in pink.”

Camila gave a nod and a smile, holding onto his bicep.

“I know you do.”

EZ returned her smile and leaned down to kiss her temple before standing back up and looked at the other two outfits. The second was a light beige dress that came mid-thigh, hanging off the shoulders with an empire waist and EZ loved that one too. The last was a simple black dress, nothing extravagant or flashy about it and EZ liked that. It had sleeves to the elbows and a high neckline. With a wince, he rubbed the back of his neck.

“This is hard, Cam. I can tell they’re all gonna look good on you. I can’t even pick.”

She laughed and shrugged, leaning her head against his shoulder as she looked over the outfits herself.

“I know, that’s why I figured I’d ask you.”

EZ reached forward and ran a finger over the materials, his eyes still drawn to the pink one.

“I wish you had the beige dress, but in pink.”

“Now’s not the time to be picky, Ezekiel.”

EZ laughed and so did Camila, him turning towards her and grabbing her arms, pulling them to wrap around his neck and then wrapping his own around her waist.

“You could show up in a potato sack and you’re still going to be the most beautiful girl there.”

A roll of her eyes, a blush, and a smile were what he got from her as she held onto him.

“Such as sweet talker.”

EZ’s smirk appeared as his hands made their way to her hips.  

“I gotta get my game back. I was around nothing but dudes for eight years.”

Camila shook her head before cocking it to the side.

“So, I’m the guinea pig?”

EZ shrugged and gave his panty-dropping smile.

“I mean… how am I doing?”

Camila eyed him as she pulled her arms away from him, wearing a smirk of her own as she started walking away from him, looking at him over her shoulder.

“A+. Now come help me rinse off these tomatoes before your dad gets here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The two stood side by side working in tandem as they had done so many times before. Their process was down to a science now. Camila washed and rinsed the vegetables, placing them down onto the towel to dry some and wait for EZ who would pat them dry completely and then place them into the basket that sat atop her kitchen counter. They spent many nights or mornings this way when EZ was available, just enjoying her company.

Things had been running smoothly ever since he had told her the truth about Kevin and taking the deal two weeks ago, a certain harmony between them now that she felt he was letting her in, and he didn’t have the guilt of keeping her out. They spent as much time together as possible, her hanging out with Angel often as well, two peas in a pod. EZ had been in her home more than he had been in his trailer and had taken Angel’s advice, leaving some clothes at her place for those nights where their dates of movies and popcorn ran too late and she had him stay with her overnight.

Now here she was, drying off her harvest of tomatoes from this morning that she had picked especially for Felipe. She’s offered for him to come by her house and he’d accepted, telling her he would be by later in the afternoon. Now here she was, working feverishly to make sure Felipe had the brightest, cleanest, plumpest tomatoes of the bunch ready to go. EZ finished drying off the last one and rolled his shoulders.

“I’m gonna use the bathroom really quick.”

Camila nodded and pointed to the bathroom in her bedroom.

“Use mine. The guest one is a mess, I started painting it a different color finally.”

EZ nodded and reached for her, placing his hand softly on the back of her neck and pulling her forward so he could press a kiss to her forehead. She smiled as she always did and looked up at him with the same twinkle she always got. EZ prayed silently that she would never lose that sparkle when she looked at him. His goal was to make sure he did whatever he had to do to ensure that that look of love remained. He pulled away and headed toward her bathroom as Camila stayed, making sure that all of Felipe’s tomatoes looked perfect. He walked in and smiled as he saw the three dresses that she was still torn between, hanging on her mirror, no doubt after she had tried them all on and compared. One laying off to the side of her dresser caught his attention though and he walked over, gripping the hanger and lifting the dress so he could see it. It was a soft beige chiffon dress, flowing with draped sleeves and waist, a slit in the front where the fabric overlapped. It was simple yet elegant, sexy yet not too revealing for a vow renewal and EZ could immediately picture her in it, the golden hue of her skin a nice contrast to the lighter material, the slopes of her hips accentuated by the fabric and yet hidden by it as well, the material shifting as she walked.

EZ had never been a number one fan of heels in particular, not thrilled with the strain it put on the woman wearing them or the soreness that they often had after a night of being in them. Camila in heels was a weakness of his though, he had quickly realized the night that they had gone out for their first real date. He hadn’t seen her in any since and his eyes drifted over into the closet, locking on a pair that matched the color of the dress in his hands. Already he could see her in the outfit, and he furrowed his brows wondering why she hadn’t shown him this one.

“Cam, come here.”

She called out to him, telling him that she was coming, a smile on her face as she walked in holding a particularly large tomato.

“This is the best one that I have. Your dad will like it.”

Her smile fell some as she looked at him holding the dress though.

“Oh, I didn’t take that one out for you to pick, I was just out.”

EZ nodded and turned toward her, holding it up higher as he looked it over.

“Why not? This is my favorite, more than the ones that you showed me. I mean, you would look beautiful in all of them but this,”

He trailed off and she blushed, putting her hands down to her sides as she walked up to him.

“I don’t know. I feel like it’s too much.”

The prospect shook his head and looked back at her, his smile bright as he placed it down onto her bed gently.

“It’s not. That’s the one.”

Camila arched her eyebrows and ran her finger over the fabric, taking hold of the still attached tag.

“I bought it like, two years ago and I’ve still never worn it. I thought it was gorgeous, but I never really felt like I had a place to wear it.”

EZ walked up closer to her and rested his hand on her back, looking down at her.

“Well, now you do. It’s not too much, it’s perfect. Wear it.”

She beamed and nodded softly, grabbing the dress to hang it up by the mirror and put the others back in the closet, happy that she had finally gotten to a decision with the event only two days away. Camila turned back around to face EZ and they shared a smile, her doorbell ringing in the background. EZ laughed as her eyes lit up, Camila hurrying out of the room with her tomato in hand to answer the door for Felipe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Felipe looked around, his head tilted back some as he took in a deep breath of the fresh air. The sun shone brightly, casting down in warm beams on his skin. There was a slight breeze, Camila’s bigger fruit trees blowing gently in the wind. His eyes roamed around, and he kept walking around slowly his shoes padding on the steppingstones. He walked through the garden by himself, Camila and EZ back in the house. Felipe’s eyes fell on a separate pot over to the corner by the bench and he walked over to it, sitting down. It was a baby, the soil fresh and still messy around the edge, Camila having just planted it this morning. It was small, only the beginning of the budding white flower but Felipe smiled with both sadness and nostalgia as he looked at it, recalling the time that Marisol had bought the seeds for the very same flower and had planted it as her first one.

He recalled the smile that was on her face the day she went out and saw the beginning of the green leaves starting to sprout from the soil. He’d thought her happiness was unmatched, until the day that the petals bloomed. She had taken care of that flower and had then gotten into gardening even more, flowers everywhere as a result of her green thumb. She kept various flowers outside in the garden and always had something on the counter, changing them out every week, but that orchid stayed in their bedroom and never moved. She kept it alive and well, but when she died, it died along with her and it was then that Felipe had thrown it away with a heavy heart, the brown withered petals a sick metaphor for how his life was also falling apart.

He reached over and ran the tip of his finger over the petal of the orchid, giving a smile as he stared at it unaware of the eyes that were watching him from inside. EZ was in the kitchen getting something to drink but Camila was there at the sliding door that led to the garden, watching her boyfriend's father stare at her new plant. She turned away as she saw him wipe at his eye, feeling like she was intruding and thought to herself knowing that she already had an idea of what she might suggest to EZ about getting him for Christmas.

Walking away from the window, she went into the kitchen and saw EZ at the fridge, bent over and looking inside. She smiled to herself and quietly sidled up, slapping his ass playfully and letting out a laugh as he jerked, looking back at her and shaking his head. He grabbed the beer her was eyeing and stood back up straight, turning to eye her.

“That’s inappropriate.”

She scoffed and leaned her head back incredulously.

“Oh, so you can cop a feel, but I can’t?”

“Your butt is nicer than mine.”

At that Camila shook her head, a playful grin on her face as she looked up at him.

“I beg to differ.”

Within seconds, it turned into an ass slapping contest, both turning around in circles trying to get the other, laughter filling the house so much so that neither heard the sliding glass door opening as Felipe made his way back into the house. He looked over at the sound and couldn’t help but smile, seeing his son happy and in love, much like he had once been. He stayed quiet in the corner, simply observing as Camila caught up to EZ, landing a particularly harsh spank that had EZ hissing slightly and rubbing the seat of his jeans all while her joy-filled laugh bounced off the walls. They both noticed Felipe’s presence then, a blush coming over Camila as she realized he had been there the whole time. She apologized with a hand on her chest, out of breath slightly from the horseplay.

“Sorry about that.”

The oldest Reyes shook his head and stepped forward with a genuine smile, wrapping both of his arms around their shoulders and pulling them in, leaving a kiss to both of their foreheads one after the other.

“No need to be sorry, mija. This keeps an old man like me young.”

Both she and EZ smiled at that as Felipe released them, looking at the pile of vegetables Camila had on the counter, a very familial vibe in the house.


	18. Chapter 18

Camila focused on herself in the mirror, blending the last of mocha brown eyeshadow into her crease. Putting the brush down, she sat back some and looked over her face, eyes stuck on her lips. She looked over her organized lipsticks, over the various shades of nudes she had. Movement in the doorway caught her attention and she looked through the mirror behind her, finding EZ standing there at the doorway, arms crossed across his chest and a smile across his lips. She returned the grin and he pushed himself off the wall, walking toward her slowly. He came up to stand behind her while she sat at the vanity, hands resting on her shoulders as they maintained eye contact through the mirror. She pouted as she looked at him and he copied her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what lipstick to wear.”

EZ came around her and looked down at the organizer over the various lipsticks before looking back at her whole face.

“Where’s that one that you wear a lot? The glossy one?”

Camila furrowed her brows and looked around, picking up her usual sheer shimmer gloss and holding it up to him.

“This one? I wear this almost every day.”

EZ nodded and gave her a smile.

“I know. It’s my favorite. It doesn’t hide these.”

He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her bare lips, tugging her bottom lip down slightly as she smiled. She kissed his thumb slowly before he pulled away and he smirked.

“Don’t start anything we can’t finish. We gotta leave in 20 minutes.”

The brunette gave a laugh and held her hands up before taking the tube of lip gloss back from EZ’s hands. He made his way back behind her and adjusted his kutte as he watched her slather the champagne gloss over her plump pout. She smacked her lips together and then nodded.

“Good choice, mi amor.”

He smiled gently and held his hands out to her to help her stand from the bench. She grabbed onto them and allowed him to pull her up, his eyes locked on her mouth. His voice was low as he spoke.

“Definitely should’ve stolen a kiss before you put that gloss on.”

Camila beamed and tapped the tip of his nose with her index finger, throwing a wink.

“Guess you’ll just have to wait until we get back from El Padrino’s party.”

With a nod, EZ sighed and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek.

“I guess so. Now get dressed.”

Camila saluted him sarcastically and walked past him toward her closet where the beige dress was hanging. She didn’t escape without a swift pat to the ass as she did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“What do you think?”

EZ turned around and looked at Camila as she stood there, dressed and ready to go. His mouth hung open slightly as he took her in. Her hair was flowing, shiny and healthy as ever but it was neater, more sleek that her usual purposefully messy waves. It was pushed back from her face some, her features front and center. She wore a little more makeup than usual, but her skin was still coming through, glowing from within. The beige dress showed a little more skin than usual as well and EZ couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing over the bronze of her shoulder and chest, legs out and calves defined in her heels. The brown of her dress contrasted well with the brown of her skin and she looked like a goddess. His goddess. EZ stood from the couch, eyes still glued to her and she smiled softly under his gaze. He was looking at her in a way he hadn’t before, and she knew it was because he was seeing her in a way that he hadn’t before. He walked up and reached forward, resting his hands on her ample hips, loving how the fabric accentuated her shape. His eyes moved from her body back up to her eyes and he smiled as she looked up at him through dark lashes.

“You look absolutely gorgeous, querida. Like a dream.”

She gave a nervous chuckle and instinctively looked down at her toes, painted white and sticking out of the tips of her heels. EZ’s finger made its way under her chin and pulled slightly, angling her head back up to meet his eyes once again.

“I mean that. You look beautiful, Cam.”

“Gracias, Ezekiel.”

He smiled again and nodded, the hand that was holding her chin now sliding to hold on the side of her head.

“De nada, mi Corazon.”

Her smile was bright then and she playfully pushed at his chest.

“Stop, you’re making my cheeks hurt.”

He chuckled softly to himself and apologized, running his hands up and down her bare shoulders.

“Let’s get going, mami.”

He slid his hands down her arms and let them rest on the small of her back, guiding her toward the front door of her home and opening it for her. They walked out together onto the driveway, Camila’s heels clicking on the pavement as they went passed EZ’s bike and toward her car. She handed him her keys and motioned to the driver’s seat.

“You know where we’re going.”

He took the keys from her hand and went with her to her side, opening the door for her and helping her in before closing it behind her and jogging around to the driver’s side. He hopped in and started the car up. Backing up the car, he pulled out of her driveway and started down the road, reaching over to rest his hand on her thigh as he drove. Camila looked down at his hand, veins running along the back of it and then looked over and him, both sharing small smiles before looking away. EZ pulled his eyes back to the road while she looked out of the window and watched the buildings pass, their smiles still in place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Camila looked around as EZ helped her out of her car.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

He said nothing else as Camila kept taking in the scenery of the ranch. The cars were lined up along the parking on the side of the landscaping, a huge country club in the middle. Camila looked to EZ and he half smiled, half cringed.

“El Padrino used to head the MC but he stepped down. He’s…working something else now. Better money.”

Camila nodded and held onto his arm as they walked toward the building together.  

“Clearly.”

He chose to leave it at that, now not being the time to get into Marcus’ shift into the cartel and his shaking up with the Galindos. He was sure Camila know enough to know that this wasn’t a place that could be rented by any old MC member, ex-president or not. He allowed her to hang onto him as they walked in, a man in a three-piece suit waiting at the door to open it for them. EZ ushered Camila in ahead of him and they walked to the side, most people dressed for the occasion save for the noticeable matching kuttes of the Mayans. Angel, Coco, and Gilly spotted EZ and Camila before they could notice the boys and started making their way over to them, Camila smiling as soon as she laid eyes on them. Gilly pushed forward ahead of Angel and Coco with a bright beaming smile, all teeth as he whistled and held his hand out to Camila.

“Fuckin’ look at you!”

She placed her hand into his and he spun her around once before she pulled away laughing and blushing.

“Chill.”

Gilly kept his grin and released her, Angel stepping up next and wrapping his arms around her tightly, not having seen her for a whole week now.

“You do look nice.”

She nodded and reached down to gently grab the sides of her dress, pulling them out to display that dress.

“Nicest I’ve looked since my Quinceañera. I’m sure I won’t be keeping these shoes on for long.”

They continued to say their hellos and Angel lead her and EZ back to the rest of the MC to say hello as well. After a million hugs and kisses, Camila felt EZ grab her upper arm and maneuver her to the side, Marcus standing there in the nicest suit of all beside Bishop. They both looked over as EZ and Camila stepped closer. Bishop smiled brightly and opened his arm to her, Camila stepping into his embrace and leaving a kiss on his cheek.

“Hey, Bish.”

“Hola, cariño.”

Bishop released her and then motioned to Marcus with his other hand.

“I don’t believe you two have met.”

Camila shook her head and smiled warmly at Marcus, sticking out her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Marcus. I’m Camila.”

El Padrino returned her smile and bypassed her hand, leaning in for a hug of his own. She returned the embrace and they pulled away, Marcus speaking first.

“Nice to meet you too, Camila. I’ve heard about you.”

Camila smiled nervously.

“Good things, I hope.”

Marcus nodded, patting Bishop’s shoulder.

“Only the best.”

Camila looked back to Bishop and he nodded once, a lopsided smile on his face. Marcus clapped him on the back and motioned to the wall of doors on the back wall, a beautiful garden outback with chairs lined up for the ceremony.  

“Everyone can start getting their seats. I put you all in the first and second rows.”

Bishop nodded and they clasped their hands together before pulling away, Bishop starting to lead the MC outside.

They all took their seats, some people already in theirs. It wasn’t an overly large crowd when taking into account how may loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and associates a man like Marcus had, but there were an easy seventy people. Camila was sat between EZ and Angel and she continued to look around, a quiet scoff coming from Angel. She looked toward him and pushed her shoulder into his.

“What are you making noises over there for?”

The older Reyes brother shook his head and looked back at her.

“Leave it to you to be sitting in a mansion like this but be focused on the bushes.”

Shaking her own head, she grinned, and Angel returned it.

“I missed you, Angel. And they’re not bushes, they’re shrubs.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“You want something to drink?”

Camila looked over to her right at EZ.

“Uh, what do they have?”

“Champagnes and wines that cost way too much, probably.”

Camila nodded, knowing he was right and gave a shrug.

“Get me a White Russian if you can. If not, I don’t know, get me apple juice.”

EZ laughed at the jump in her preferences and so did she, closing her eyes as he leaned down and kissed her temple.

“I’ll be back.”

Camila nodded as EZ walked away from the table and looked down at the bright white tablecloth, running her finger over the fabric. She looked over the entire cloth before she turned her attention to the ceiling, looking over the intricacies of the architecture. At the boxed dropdowns, the arches of the walkways that reach all the way up, the thick pillars at the entrances and exits. She looked around the entire hall, taking in everything and before long she looked down at her rose gold watch, seeing that EZ had been gone for ten minutes now. Looking around, she figured he must’ve gotten caught up with someone, the life of a prospect never being easy. She started people watching then to pass the time as was startled as she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. She looked back and saw Angel standing there, pulling out the seat that EZ had been sitting in and taking a seat in it himself beside her.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Camila shook her head quickly, thankful for the company.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just caught up in my head.”

Angel nodded at that and took a sip from his beer.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

A silence fell over the two of them and Camila continued to look around, her eyes finally settling on EZ as she picked him out of the crowd. She saw him standing there, a beer in one hand and her White Russian in the other. He stood there holding both and talking to someone standing in front of him. There were people crowded around and Camila couldn’t really see who he was speaking to but as the group moved, she saw the blonde woman that had been at the restaurant, then the bookstore, then Kevin’s photo. It was Emily, with her blonde hair and black dress, a small smile on her face as she spoke with EZ. They spoke back and forth, and Camila couldn’t help but wonder if he had been there with her the whole time. Angel followed Camila’s eyes and winced, shaking his head as his baby brother.

“You ok, Cam?”

She turned toward him swiftly and then nodded.

“Yeah. Just want my drink.”

She gave a little laugh, but Angel could tell there was more to it. She shook his head feverishly, pointing at Emily with the mouth of his beer.

“Do you know who that is, or?”

Camila nodded and looked back at him.

“Yeah. He’s told me. She came to the bookstore once and we saw her at a restaurant when we first got together.”

Angel stayed looking at his baby brother and Emily, a small flame of anger starting to burn in him at that thought of EZ having seemingly forgotten about his new girl in exchange for catching up with the old one. Suddenly Camila looked at Angel again and this time she stayed looking, her eyes showing that she had something she wanted to say. She battled with herself for a member before finally speaking.

“They were serious, weren’t they?”

Angel stayed quiet and Camila spoke again.

“He says that she was just an ex, but I can tell there was more to it than that.”

At that, Angel nodded. He took a swig of his beer once again.

“They were a little serious, yeah. They were together when EZ got locked up. High school sweethearts, that kinda shit. She uh…”

Angel trailed off, wondering if it would soothe her or anger her if he told her the truth. Camila had seemed to be a levelheaded person so far as he was concerned and he opted to tell her the truth, hoping that the added clarity would ease her worries.

“She was pregnant. He ended things, she was pissed, got rid of the kid to spite him, it was a whole big fucking mess. Then he did all those years and she kinda faded away into the past.”

Camila nodded, listening to Angel and looked back at her boyfriend who still stood there with Emily.

“Until now.”

Angel grunted and even with as stupid as he felt his baby brother was being at the moment, he decided to try and help him out some.

“She’s married to Marcus’ boss now. That’s why she’s here and why we’re all here. It’s all business.”

Camila gave a big nod now, understanding much more. She wasn’t just his ex, she was once the mother of his first child, now wife of his MC’s business partner. She felt the bubbles of jealousy start to settle some, a slow song now being put on by the DJ. Couples stood and made their way to the dancefloor, hold and embracing each other, swaying slowly to the ballad and Camila felt a wave of loneliness come over her, wishing that she could’ve shared the dance with EZ. She took a deep breath though and let it out, just thankful for him and the moments that he had spent with her, including bringing her to this function with him. She had never known there was so much history with Emily and now that she knew the truth, she still had patience with him. His leaving her alone so he could catch up with his ex when he had asked her to come was making it a little harder to be patient though. Instead, she put on a smile and turned in her chair to face Angel.

“So, have you been cooking lately?”

Angel spoke to her enthusiastically about the dishes he had been trying, the ones he had nailed and the ones that had made him gag. He told her about how good his homemade meatballs had been and how even Felipe had taken down the recipe. They were still talking when EZ came back, hurrying to place Camila’s White Russian down in front of her only for them to both look down at it and see the clear ring floating on the top of the drink, all the ice now melted.

“Sorry, baby. I got caught up,”

Camila nodded and EZ could see that her body language was off. Pulling his eyes away from her, he looked at Angel and saw the disapproving look on his face, lips pursed slightly. EZ hung his head some, knowing then that if Angel had noticed, there wasn’t any way that Camila hadn’t. Angel’s eyes felt like they were burning holes into the side of EZ’s face as he stared at him and he picked Camila’s cup back up, smiling at her to try and smooth things over.

“Let me get you another one.”

Shaking her head, Camila pushed a smile. EZ had seen enough of them to know easily that this one was fake. He gingerly placed the cup back down onto the table and looked at Angel to see if he would get up and give EZ back his seat. All Angel gave in return was a defiantly angry look at his baby brother and EZ swallowed dryly, wondering if Camila had told Angel she was upset. He reached down and grabbed one of her hands, pulling at it softly.

“Let’s go dance.”

Camila looked up at him and just like that, the song came to an end, the couples starting to return to their seats. Smiling sadly, Camila ran her hands over her thighs, smoothing her dress as she stood.

“It’s ok. I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick.”

She leaned over and pressed a kiss to EZ’s cheek before pulling away and grabbing her purse, letting her hand rest on Angel’s shoulder as she walked away. Making her way back to the lobby where the restrooms were, Camila passed the dessert area and across the lobby. As she walked into the hall where the bathrooms were, a man in a charcoal suit stepped out of the male door, dark hair combed neatly, his salt and pepper sprinkled beard outlining his features. He looked up as her heels came into view and she stepped back, both smiling.

“Ay, perdón.”

“No te preocupes, señorita.”

He took a step back himself and motioned for her to go first which she did with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“De nada.”

She went into the female bathroom while the man headed back to his table and his wife. The girl clearly had no idea who he was, but he knew who she was, and he stole a glance to the Reyes brothers sitting together many tables away, the older one clearly chastising EZ.  Looking away, he trained his eyes back on his wife who was smiling at him and holding out a plate of red velvet cake.

“Here, Miguel. They had one of your favorites.”


	19. Chapter 19

Camila gazed out of her sliding glass door, sipping from her cup of Abuelita’s hot chocolate and watching the rain fall. It was dark and gloomy, had been all morning and she couldn’t help but give a soft chuckle at how the weather on the outside was reflecting how she felt on the inside. Yesterday hadn’t gone how she had expected it to, not full of the fun and laughs and love she had been expecting. The event was gorgeous, she couldn’t deny that, but it would have been much better had she been able to spend it with her man. Not that she didn’t enjoy spending her time with Angel, she loved being around him and having him in her company, but not when it was because he took pity on her when it was supposed to be a date night. 

She had tried her best to not let it get to her and she had managed to keep it together for the next hour of the event and for the rest of the night. She had seen Angel scolding EZ when she had come back to sit down, and he had tried desperately to talk with her and get back in her good graces. She had smiled and forged through, but as she laid in bed it had gnawed on her. She had walked in feeling like a million bucks and had walked out questioning her importance to the man she loved. They had driven back to her place in near silence save for EZ making small talk and trying to get her to smile. He hadn’t been all that successful though and they had said a tense goodbye, Camila not holding him and kissing him as usually did. Just a quick peck to the cheek and she was heading inside, EZ standing by his bike looking like a kicked puppy as he watched her. After a quick shower and a snack, she had headed to bed to try and get some sleep. Her brain had been a battle all night, the angel and devil on her shoulders tugging her around until it was the wee hours of the morning and sleep was still evading her. She had tossed and turned, opting to just get up and watch the storm that had been raging. Now here she was, sitting in her lounge chair with her hot mug watching the sky light up, bolts of lightning striking through the night, the rising sun just starting to come up over the horizon. She hadn’t realized how long she had been sitting there caught up in her thoughts, so loud and vicious.

She worried if maybe EZ had lied. Maybe there was still something going on between them, something that he was keeping and that was why Kevin had brought it up. Maybe Kevin had other pictures, pictures of them together. Maybe Emily would always mean more to him because she had carried his first child. What had Camila given him? Her forehead throbbed as she kept thinking and eventually, she gave a sigh, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. She pictured her Abuela, soft smiles and wrinkled skin and she felt herself starting to relax already.

Looking down into her mug, she smiled for the first time since she had come home. It was Abuela Magdalena’s recipe, the one that Camila had had drank since she was a little girl. Abuela had always made it for her whenever she wasn’t feeling well. Whether it was physically or emotionally, whenever Camila wasn’t exactly at one hundred percent Abuela would cook up a batch of the hot chocolate, place her into her lap and rock her while she drank. She had done it when she was a young child and she had done it well into her adolescence. Camila could distinctly remember the first time she had been dumped. It wasn’t a serious relationship, but it was her first. Camila had been far more invested than he had been, and it came as a blow. Abuelita Magdalena had found her crying and had quickly slipped away to make a batch of the hot chocolate before coming into Camila’s room, sitting on her bed and pulling her into her lap. Camila could remember vividly sitting in her grandmother’s lap at the age of 16, quietly crying as her grandmother held the cup to her lips. She could hear her words as if she was speaking into her ears right there in her living room.

_No llores, mija. Ningún hombre merece tus lágrimas. Algunos merecen su paciencia y comprensión, pero no las lágrimas._

Even though those words had been spoken in a completely different situation, Camila knew that Abuelita had meant them and if she had been here now, she would’ve said the same thing. She would have told Camila to stop worrying and working herself up and just talk to him. To speak her mind and her truth and lay her feelings out for EZ to see. No sense in crying. Just talk.

With another sigh, Camila stood from the lounge chair and walked into the kitchen. She placed her mug down and picked up her phone, unlocking it and pulling up EZ’s contact. She hesitated for a moment, worrying that maybe she didn’t have her thoughts all the way together, but she ignored her apprehension and dialed his number. She held the phone up to her ear and leaned against the counter, her hip against the granite.

It only rang twice before EZ picked it up, his voice bright and hopeful as he spoke her name.

“Camila,”

She smiled softly to herself and nodded though he couldn’t see.

“Hey. You busy?”

“Nope.”

EZ answered quickly, his voice even more joyful as she figured she had relaxed some and maybe wasn’t as upset. That hope dwindled as she spoke her next words.

“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over. I wanted to talk.”

EZ swallowed dryly and Angel chucked from his seat beside him, hearing Camila’s words faintly through the phone. He himself had experienced the anxiety that came with having your girlfriend speak those words and he didn’t wish to be in his baby brother’s place. EZ looked over at him, eyes full of worry and Angel slapped his arm, pointing to the phone. EZ quickly looked away and answered Camila.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be there in 15.”

Camila agreed, both saying their goodbyes. Before he hung up EZ spoke quietly into the phone.

“I love you, Cam.”

On Camila’s side she smiled gently, wrapping her arm around herself.

“I love you too, EZ.”

They both hung up the phone and Camila left to sit on the couch and finish up her hot chocolate while she waited. EZ, on the other hand, was nothing but jitters as he put his phone back into his kutte, looking at Angel.

“She’s pissed.”

Angel shrugged, his eyebrows high on his forehead.

“Wouldn’t you be? If she brought you somewhere and then left you alone to talk to her fucking ex? Especially with how things ended between you two.”

EZ hung his head but swiftly picked it back up to look back at his brothers as his words registered.

“You told her?”

Angel hesitated then, not realizing that he had ratted himself out. He gave another shrug though, leaning back in his chair as he looked at EZ sternly.

“Yeah, to help you. You can tell she was hurt. No matter how much she tried to hide it or act like she was fine, you made her sad. You ignored her to go hang out with Emily,”

EZ scoffed and cut Angel off.

“I wasn’t hanging out with her. I went to get us drinks and she was there too, stopped me as I was heading back to Cam.”

Angel nodded sarcastically and held his arms up.

“Exactly. And that’s what you should’ve told her. That you had to get back to your girl. Instead, your ass sat there playing catchup for 15 minutes while Camila sat there by herself counting the spots on the ceiling. I went and sat with her to get her mind off it, but she was focused on you. So I told her the truth, figured maybe it would soften the blow it a little. Make her feel like she wasn’t getting ignored for any old ex. I wanted her to think that you were there out of courtesy for the woman that once was with your kid.”

Angel didn’t miss the wince that EZ gave and he sighed, leaning forward to rest his hand gently on EZ’s shoulder.

“I know it’s a shitty position to be in but you gotta get it together. It’s not fair to Cam. She’s your future now. Don’t fuck that up.”

EZ felt his anger simmer and he nodded, standing to start heading out. Angel stood with him and pulled the younger brother into a quick embrace.

“Don’t try to give excuses. Just apologize and kiss her ass for as long as you need to.”

They both shared a laugh, Angel clapping EZ on the back as he walked away, ready to go and start working his way back into her good graces.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“It’s open.”

Camila called out from the kitchen as EZ knocked on her front door. She had already unlocked it for him when she’d heard him pulling down the street. She stood at the sink washing her cup as he walked in, closing the door behind him. He laid his eyes on her immediately and gave a soft smile which she returned. She dried her hands and he walked up slowly, coming to stand still beside her as she turned around. He held his hand out to her and prayed that she didn’t just stand there looking at it, refusing to have contact with him. To his relief she returned his smile and placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her gently, one around her body while the other was around the back of her neck, hand softly resting and holding the back of her head. He closed his eyes as she settled into him, taking a deep breath. He sighed as he was engulfed in the sweet scent of her, always smelling like vanilla. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him, but he could still see that like last night, her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Not in the way that it usually did.  

“We can go sit,”

She trailed off and EZ nodded, letting her go and walking with her to the couch. She sat down first, and he sat down beside her, both facing each other. There was a bit of silence that dragged on before Camila started speaking.

“I’m not gonna beat around the bush. I’m still kinda mad. I know that she’s your ex and Angel told me about the history that you two have so I get it, but I think it was disrespectful for you to leave me like that just so you can go talk to her.”

Camila took a breath to try and gather her thoughts, EZ using the gap to jump in and try to explain himself.

“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful, I just was,”

Camila quickly held her hand up to EZ and cut him off.

“I wasn’t done yet.”

EZ stopped mid-sentence and grimaced, reaching over to take her hand softly.

“I’m sorry. Keep going.”

Camila nodded and looked down at his hand holding hers.

“I love you, EZ. I love you and I love being with you and that’s why I agreed to go with you. Because I want to spend as much time with you as possible. You didn’t have to bring me with you. You didn’t have to tell me about the event. You could’ve kept it to yourself and not told me anything, just said you had plans and it would’ve been fine. But you did tell me, and you asked me to come just so you could ignore me for her. I get that you two had something…special,”

Camila paused as she tried to find the right word, not knowing how sore of a topic losing his child was for him. He didn’t react to her words and so she kept going.

“I know you can’t just pretend she doesn’t exist. I don’t expect you to, but I guess I didn’t expect you to prioritize being with her over me. I just want to know that if I go with you to anything else like that, I’m not gonna look stupid.”

EZ’s hand squeezed hers as she said that word. Stupid. He remembered her conditions.

_‘I’ll stick by you, be with you through anything. Just don’t make me look stupid.’_

He never wanted her to feel that he was making her look stupid. That was the last thing he ever wanted, especially knowing that was her line that she didn’t want crossed. He reached forward then, holding her hand with both now.

“Everyone was there dancing with their partner, smiling and laughing and enjoying each other and I was just…there. By myself.”

Camila looked down, finding it hard to maintain the same eye contact when she felt so vulnerable. EZ reached out slowly and took her chin in his fingers, lifting her head gently and ducking his head below hers to get her to look at him. When she did, he saw things he hadn’t seen before. Uncertainty, worry, fear. He saw a woman that was questioning where his loyalties lied and that wasn’t something he ever wanted her to doubt. Bringing his other hand up as well, he cradled her face in his hands ever so gently, his brows knitted together in guilt and concern as he spoke to her.

“I never meant to make you feel like you weren’t important, Camila. I went to get us something to drink and she grabbed my attention, wanted to see how things were going. It was weird and awkward. I wanted to get back to you, but I stayed talking because…I’m fucking dumb.”

Camila let out a small laugh at that and he smiled, some of his worry subsiding.

“I fucked up. I should’ve gone back to you and that’s it. She isn’t important to me, you are. Yeah, we were close and we almost had a kid but that’s the past. I never meant to make you feel like I was putting you on the back burner. No one else is more important to me. Te amo.”

Camila looked away from him then, tucking her hair behind her ear the way she always did when she felt slightly uncomfortable. She stayed looking down for a couple moments more before she looked back up, the worry gone from her eyes. She gave a lopsided smile and nodded, her eyes locked on his.

“Te amo, Ezekiel.”

He sighed again, knowing that he was still going to have to work to earn forgiveness for hurting her feelings but at least he knew the worst of the argument was over if it could even be called that. His smile stayed in place and he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against hers. He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers gently.

“I’m sorry.”

Camila nodded against him, squeezing his hand.

“I forgive you.”

EZ noticed her choice of words. She didn’t say it was ok like most people did, she simply said that she forgave him. That she didn’t like what he did, and it wasn’t ok, but she forgave him anyway. Just in that simple sentence, it was reaffirmed to him that she was a woman who knew what she deserved and knew when she wasn’t getting it. That she wouldn’t settle, and EZ was thankful for it, knowing that she would always give him the kick in the ass he needed if it was deserved. He pursed his lips and left a kiss to her nose before kissing each of her cheeks. Pulling away, he looked at her and saw her face now relaxed, the worry line between her brows smooth now. He couldn’t promise that he wasn’t ever going to fuck up again, that he wouldn’t ever hurt her feelings again, but he would know better for next time. Leaning back from her, he pulled her hands up to his mouth and kissed the backs of them, looking over the nude nail polish that she had painted specifically because they matched her dress perfectly. He winced and tried to push the guilt back down as he stood up from the couch.

“I gotta head back to the clubhouse to meet Angel. We have to ride into town to go pick up some supplies, but we should be free then. Just gonna hang out, listen to music. You can swing by the clubhouse if you want,”

EZ left the invitation open, allowing her the opportunity to refuse if she wanted to. Jut in case she still didn’t want to be hanging out with him so soon again. She smiled though and nodded, looking around her home.

“I just have to clean up a little around here and then I’ll go. Should I bring anything?”

EZ shook his head and took her into his arms, looking down at her lovingly.

“Just a smile.”

Camila rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless, pushing him away by his chest.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

He took a couple of steps back with a smile and headed to the door, looking back at her over his shoulder as he left.

“We can slow dance together all night, I promise.”

Camila looked at him lovingly then and nodded once.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

EZ ran his hand over her head as he walked into the clubhouse, Angel sitting there on the couch with Coco. He barely even let EZ get close to them before opening his mouth.

“She didn’t even let you in the house, did she? Did she make you stand outside? She should’ve.”

EZ shook his head as he chuckled and took a seat beside them, sighing heavily as he relaxed into the couch.

“She forgave me.”

Angel could’ve given himself whiplash with how quickly he spun his head around to face EZ.

“Are you serious? Already?”

EZ held his hands up and shrugged.

“I mean she’s still annoyed over it, she has every right, but she let me explain myself. We talked it out and we’re ok.”

Both Angel and Coco nodded at that, taking sips of their beers. Angel spoke again, all playfulness gone from his voice as he eyes his brother.

“She’s a good kid, EZ. A good woman. Don’t fuck that up.”

Coco nodded in agreement and looked at the prospect as well.

“He’s right. It ain’t often we find women to hold us down in this life, boy scout. If she’s riding for you, don’t make her regret that. Take care of her and she’ll take care of you.”

EZ nodded, knowing that they both were right. Angel stood then, tapping the back of his hand against Coco’s chest.

“Well let’s get going, Dr. Phil. We got shit to do.”  


	20. Chapter 20

Camila huffed quietly to herself as she looked down at the books on the floor of the aisle, tossed down without a care by someone that couldn’t be bothered to put them back or at the very least, give it back to her so she could restock them. She leaned down and picked up the books, looking over them to make sure they weren’t damaged. The third one caught her eye, a sci-fi novel that seemed like something EZ would be into reading. She walked back to the front desk and placed the one by her purse, the others going into the bin to be stocked after closing. 

She had accepted Mr. Salvatore’s offer about becoming manager and was starting to settle into the role. Keeping the holds on books in order, re-ordering books as necessary, keeping up to date with securing the latest releases. Sometimes though she still found herself slipping back into her old role, simply wandering the aisles to make sure everything was orderly and neat. It was Friday and she had been in the role of manager all week. Though she was happy with the promotion, she couldn’t deny that the extra responsibility came with extra work though of a different kind, and she was looking forward to the weekend. Mr. Salvatore had agreed that she would be the acting manager and he would simply step in to cover for her on the weekends, allowing her to enjoy them. Running her hands over the front of her blouse, she gave a smile as two women walked in, going to the café area and placing their order.

She looked around trying to find something else that needed to be done, something else that needed to be cleaned and she came up empty, rapping her nails against the countertop. EZ had promised her that he would be taking her out for dinner tonight, no doubt to spend time with her after Marcus’ vow renewal had gone south. They hadn’t spent as much time together this week as they normally did, her busy with her new position and EZ busy with whatever he did with the club. Tonight, though they had made it a point to make sure that they spend time together, just the two of them and Camila was more than looking forward to it.

Camila looked up as the bell on the door rang. In walked Angel, all smiles as he made his way over to Camila behind the front desk. He opened his arms up wide, motioning to her as a grand gesture.

“Look at miss jefa, working at the desk.”

Camila shook her head with a laugh and walked around to the other side, wrapping her arms around Angel’s middle as he threw his around her shoulders. They embrace for a moment before letting go, the two leaning against the desk.

“So,”

Camila cocked her head to the side, wondering what he was referring to.

“So.”

With a shake of his head, Angel eyed her.

“How’re things with baby bro?”

His tone was questioning, wanting to know if things had worked out and if she was still upset. She gave a shrug.

“They’re fine.”

Angel tilted his head and looked at her with pursed lips, clearly not buying her response. She laughed and held her hands up.

“I’m serious. Everything’s cool. We talked, I got my feelings off of my chest and we’re good now. He knows it was rude and swore to never do it again. We’re good.”

Angel’s face relaxed and so did his shoulders, nodding in acceptance of her answer.

“I talked to him, told him what a dick he was that night.”

“He’s just a people pleaser.”

“Yeah well, sometimes he focuses on pleasing the wrong people.”

Camila didn’t have anything to say to that, knowing that Angel’s comment seemed to be true. He had known his brother far longer than she had and she knew that no matter how close she and EZ had gotten, Angel was likely speaking from experience that she couldn’t negate. Changing the subject, she reached over and tapped the back of her hand against his chest with a smile.

“What do you say about coming to the house this Sunday if you aren’t busy. Figured we could cook breakfast together.”

Angel nodded, eyes shining.

“You bringin’ pops over again?”

“Nope. Just you, me, and EZ.”

She saw him hesitate for a moment before smiling anyway.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just thought maybe-“

“No, no. I’ll be there.”

They both grinned and Angel stood back up straight, slapping his hand on the tabletop once.

“Well, I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you Sunday, Chiquita.”

He reached forward with his right hand and grabbed the back of her head, pulling her toward him and kissing the top of her head. Camila smiled gently at the show of brotherly affection and nodded as he stepped away from her, walking backward to the door as she watched.

“Excuse me, miss?”

Turning back around, Camila smiled as she faced a customer, answering her questions about their new poetry selection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“You look beautiful.”

Camila looked down at herself. White tank top, blue jeans, and her Cortez. She looked back up at him with a smile and a laugh.

“I always look like this.”

EZ nodded, that charming grin on his lips as he looked at her.

“I know.”

He took three steps toward her, stopping as he ended up toe to toe. He reached and took her chin in his fingers, lifting her face slightly as his eyes raked over her every feature.

“Siempre bella.”

He accentuated the sentence with a kiss to her lips.

“Siempre mía.”

Camila blushed slightly under both his gaze and words, pushing her head down slightly so she could kiss the fingers that had held her chin. He sighed happily and pulled away, walking back toward her front door as she followed. She locked up the door behind her while EZ made his way out to the bike. He climbed on and began strapping on his helmet as she walked over to him. He gave a crooked smile.

“Let’s take the bike.”

Camila eyed him and the machine, apprehension visible on her face.

“What if I throw you off balance?”

“You won’t. You just gotta stay real close to me. Press yourself against my back, hold on tight, move with me.”

It was her turn to grin now, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

“I mean, it sounds like a good time.”

EZ chuckled and gave his head a shake, holding another helmet out to her.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll go slow, take side roads.”

He could see her ready to agree, just a little hesitance left and he let his smile retreat a bit, his look more serious as he locked eyes with her.

“Would I ask you to do something if I thought you would get hurt?”

Camila shook her head then, a strand of hair falling into her face. Her eyes were soft and she stepped up to the bike, their eyes still on each other.

“No.”

EZ gave a nod.

“That’s right. Never.”

His words sold her, and she took the helmet from his hands, placing it onto her head and doing the strap. She climbed onto the bike behind him with ease, settling against him but not close enough. EZ reached back and wrapped his fingers around her knees, gently pulling her closer to him. Her chest was now against his back, her thighs on either side of his hips and he couldn’t hide his smile as her arms snaked themselves around his middle, her hands pressing against his tummy as she held him.

“You good?”

“I’m good.”

EZ started the Harley and soon enough they were pulling out of her driveway, the California sun warming their skin. EZ rode much slower than normal, feeling her tense arms around him slowly relax. He smiled to himself and kept riding, taking back roads and longer routes. He wanted to spend more time with her like this where it was just them, the feeling of her so close. At some point, she had relaxed entirely, her chin resting against his shoulder as she watched the buildings and traffic pass. Before long, EZ was pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant and they were hopping off the bike, Camila all smiles as she pulled off the helmet and handed it back over to EZ. His smile mirrored hers as he looked at her exhilarated face.

“Have fun?”

She nodded enthusiastically and he laughed, hanging both helmets on each handlebar before reaching over and smoothing down a couple of stray strands of her hair that were out of place. Her smile stayed as he reached down to grab onto her hand, both walking into the diner. They went to the back and sat down in a booth, EZ facing the door as he always did, wanting to always see what was happening around him. He had offered to take Camila out somewhere nice, somewhere fancy to make up for his neglect of her at El Padrino’s event, but she had declined, asking to go to her favorite diner instead. He’d relented eventually and now here they were, the diner that served the absolute best bacon burgers and French toast, in Camila’s opinion. A waitress came over to hand then menu’s Camila shaking her head with a smile as she sat forward on the booth, hands resting on the seat beside her in anticipation.

“Oh, I don’t need one, thank you. I already know what I want.”

The older woman smiled in return and faced toward EZ holding a menu for him as well.

“And you, do you need a minute?”

EZ shook his head politely.

“No ma’am, I’m ready.”

The waitress tucked the menus back into the rack to the side and pulled out her notepad and pen, ready to jot down their orders. EZ ordered for them both.

“She’ll get a bacon cheeseburger, no tomatoes with the seasoned fries,”

He glanced at Camila just in case he had gotten something wrong but she nodded, smiling at both him and the woman.

“And I’ll have uh, the same but with onion rings. Both with coke.”

The waitress finished writing down their order and then turned away from them, the two lovebirds now alone at the table. EZ clasped his hands together on top of the table as he looked at Camila.

“So, how’s work jefa?”

Camila giggled and shook her head.

“You and Angel keep calling me that like I own the place. I’m just the manager.”

At that EZ shook his head.

“You aren’t ‘just’ anything. You’re a hard worker that’s passionate about what you do, and people see that. Sal sees that. You’ve been a benefit to that bookstore and you’re only going to become more and more valuable once they see how good you are.”

Camila nodded at his words but looked down at the table, a lopsided grin tugging at her lips.

“It ain’t that serious, EZ.”

Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his and held it, eyes locked with hers as she looked up at him.

“It is that serious. You’re young and passionate and smart. That’s what a place like Sal’s needs to keep going and stay at the top. Think about how many people have worked there and passed through and Sal never made them manager, but he picked you didn’t he?”

Camila nodded and so did EZ.

“There’s a reason for that.”

Her eyes twinkled as he spoke to her, pride and love in his voice and she pulled her his hand up to her lips, kissing his knuckles.

“You’re my biggest fan.”

EZ nodded with a prideful smile.

“The biggest. Except for like, my dad. He’s probably your number one fan, actually.”

They both shared a laugh and Camila looked out the window of the diner back to EZ’s bike before returning her gaze to him.

“Well, I’m very thankful.”

EZ’s eyes twinkled as he looked at her, the waitress coming back with their food on a tray.

“So are we.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Ayyyy!”

Camila smiled as Gilly called out, arms raised in the air as she walked towards the bar in the clubhouse, EZ behind her and shutting the door. He placed his beer down on the bar top and stood from his stool, taking her into his arms as she came up to him. He hugged her tightly and lifted her off the ground, a cackle coming from her. EZ grinned as he came up, loving to see her having fun with the people that had become his family. There was a slight pang of worry that hit him then.

What would happen if the club ever found out the truth about why he had joined? What if they found out about his deal and not only was he kicked to the curb or worse, she would lose the family she had learned to love as well.

He swallowed around a suddenly dry throat and pushed a smile again, choosing not to let the moment be tainted by his worries. He watched as she made her way around the bar, giving hugs and kisses to Taza, Bishop, and Tranq as if they were tíos she had known all her life. They regarded her with a warmth that made his heart swell and he stood there, stuck in his own head. His life had changed so much in the last year, he could barely keep up sometimes. Everything had been a complete roller coaster for the last 8 years, more time low than high and now it seemed that his luck was finally turning around. He was blessed with freedom, with the ability to be back with his big brother and father, to get a second chance at life and now he was blessed with Cam. A woman that loved and nurtured him while not taking any of his shit either and he was beyond grateful for the way things had started to look up for him.

To the side, Angel watched him, a small smile coming to his lips as he looked at the one worn by his baby bro. He’d been through a lot in the last decade and while there were still feelings of resentment that Angel harbored for his brother from their childhood, they couldn’t be overpowered by the feeling he got seeing EZ happy. To see him happy made him happy and he looked away from EZ to find that Camila had said all her other hellos and had gotten to him, at last. Her smile beamed as she looked at him and he mirrored her, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he tugged her into his chest, one arm holding her in a gentle chokehold as her laugh rang out and bled into the sound of music, laughter and family. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Hola, mi amor. Como estas?” – “Hi, my love. How are you?”
> 
> “Bien, bien. Y usted? Cómo van las cosas?” – “Good, good. And you? How are things going?”
> 
> Perrito – (little) dog
> 
> “Que Dios te bendiga.” – “May God bless you.”

Camila sighed happily as she pulled the weeds from the soil, a slight breeze fanning over her skin. It was getting cooler out now and she was thankful for it, happy to have some reprieve from the boiling hot days of summer when she had first moved. It was especially helpful when she needed to garden, happy that she wasn’t risking a heatstroke just to pull some weeds. She tossed the last bunch into her bucket, reminding herself to dump it into the compost bin later. Sitting back on her heels, she looked over everything growing in the rectangle of soil before her, a proud smile on her face. She knew Abuelita would’ve been proud to see it. Looking to the far right, her smile widened as she saw the area that Angel had planted the cilantro seeds, a stalk now sticking out of the soil, the bright green leaves vibrant and healthy. Dusting off her hands, she reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out, snapping a picture of the plant so she could show it off to EZ and Felipe next time she saw them. She stood and walked around the rectangle to the other side, wanting to get a better angle when she noticed black writing on the back of the tag. Shaking her head, she snapped the picture, figuring Angel had just messed up when he had been writing and flipped the tag over to write on the other side. As she looked closer though, her heartfelt warm, seeing his messy but legible writing scrawled on the back.

_Thanks Cam. - Angel_

She laughed to herself softly, holding a hand to her chest at the little heart he had drawn in the corner as she remembered the day he had planted it so clearly. He was so happy to be there helping her garden, to have his own plant. She remembered the way his eyes had lit up when she told him he could plant his own and write on the tag. It was a simple message, but it was the thought that mattered, and she continued to smile as he reflected on the path that her life had taken and all the beautiful people that had come with it. Standing, she dusted her hands off together, walking through the garden and back through the sliding door into her house.

She took a deep breath and groaned, the sweet smell of vanilla and honey in the air as she waited for her coffee crumb cake to finish baking. She walked into the kitchen and bent over, peering into the oven door and looking at her desserts, crusts bubbling slightly as the butter and sugar caramelized. She stood and then looked around her kitchen, everything already clean and in its place, after she had organized this morning. Now she was just waiting for the cakes to be done so she could cut them up and deliver them around. Her first stop would be Elisa and her children next door, then she’d make her way around town. Felipe, the bookstore, the clubhouse. She’d made an entire loaf just for the MC, knowing they would blow through it quickly. Then she had one load of her own that she would keep in the house. She was sure EZ would be thankful, the prospect likely not to be even offered a piece before it was gone.

The beeping of the oven’s timer pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned excitedly, grabbing the silicone oven mitts from the counter and pulling the door open. She pulled the loaves from the oven racks one by one and placed them onto the cooling trays standing on her counter. She could feel the heat radiating from the loaf pans, the smell of vanilla and brown sugar now wafting through the air and all around the house. She pulled off the mitts and made her way to her bathroom to take a shower.

 

* * *

Camila knocked on Elisa’s front door gently, looking around as she waited for the mother to open the door. She could hear a faint, high-pitched barking and children’s voices before the lock was heard being undone on the other side of the door. It opened then and there stood Elisa, a tired smile on her face, the laughter and barking much louder now. Elisa was dressed in loungewear and a flour-covered apron, her black hair pulled back into a thick braid, the silver streaks coming from her hairline more pronounced.

“Hola, mi amor. Como estas?”

Camila’s smile was bright, and she leaned in for a hug and kiss.

“Bien, bien. Y usted? Cómo van las cosas?”

The woman sighed deeply and Camila frowned, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. Elisa smiled softly at the touch and pulled back, motioning into her home as she pulled the door open further. Camila walked in and her eyes locked first on Esperanza and Eddy, sat on the carpeted floor of the living room with a caged chihuahua in between them. The puppy continued to bark as the children stood up and raced to her, tiny arms wrapping tightly around her legs as they embraced her.

“Camila!”

She balanced the plate of coffee cake in one hand and reached down with the other, running her hand softly against Eddy’s back before doing the same to his sister. Both children looked up at her with bright smiles and she mirrored them. They let go of her legs and pulled away, Eddy quickly latching onto Camila’s hand to pull her toward the dog.

“Look what’s in here!”

Elisa chuckled as the boy tugged on Camila, resting her hand on his head.

“Let her walk in, mijo. She just got here.”

Eddy’s smile dropped some and he squeezed Camila’s hand softly.

“Sorry.”

Camila’s heart clenched and she knelt quickly, squeezing his hand just as he had done to hers.

“It’s ok, corazón. Let me talk to mom and then you can show me el perrito, ok?”

Eddy grinned and gave a nod, pulling his hand out of Camila’s to take his little sister’s instead. The children ran back over to the dog and Camila stood, looking back to Elisa as they both shared a laugh. Camila followed Elisa into the modest kitchen and placed the plate down onto the woman’s counter.

“I made you guys some coffee cake. I don’t know if you like it or not, but I figured I would drop some off.”

Elisa smiled as she looked down into the plate, mouth practically watering. Looking back up, she locked eyes with Camila and nodded back into the living room. Esperanza loves anything with cinnamon. Eddy doesn’t really. I’ll give her the top of a slice and him the bottom.”

Camila nodded and logged the information for later when made them anything else. Elisa grabbed the plate and walked it over to the fridge, opening the door and placing the plate in before turning back around to look at Camila who was already watching her.

“Is everything ok, Elisa?”

The woman’s smile wavered, and she sighed again, Camila reaching her hand out. Eliza slipped her hand into Camila’s and allowed the young woman to guide her to the table, both sitting down. Camila was still holding the mother’s hand as she began to speak.

“I lost my job last week. They had to cut employees and I was one of the ones to go. I have a little money put away but it’s going to get used up fast. I’ve been looking around but it’s hard to find anything that will pay enough. I’m willing to take anything, I just need someone to give me a chance.”

Camila frowned as she heard the woman’s voice quiver. Elisa brought a hand up and roughly wiped at her eyes before a tear could dare to fall.

“My husband died last year. I don’t have any help, it’s just me. I agreed to watch a friend’s dog for some cash but that won’t pay the bills. I finally got offered an interview tomorrow, but I have the kids. I can’t bring them with me so I can’t go.”

Elisa shook her head in frustration and Camila blurted out a response, not even thinking.

“I’ll watch them.”

Elisa looked up at Camila with wide eyes before shaking her head.

“No, mija, no. I can’t ask you to do that.”

Camila shook her head as well, offering the woman a smile.

“You’re not asking, I’m offering.”

Camila could see Elisa battling. Camila knew that she was a strong woman, used to supporting herself and her family all by herself. She wasn’t used to needing help, much less asking for it. Abuelita had always said those were often the ones that needed help the most. Those who took everything life threw at them in stride. Taking Elisa’s hands in hers again, Camila leaned forward, her eye contact direct.

“I’ll watch them. I can come get them or you can bring them to me, doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about food or anything, just bring their clothes and toys and I’ll watch them. Use the whole day for yourself. Do your interview, go out, get some coffee, go to a park, just relax. I’ll have them ready for bed when you pick them up.”

Camila rubbed the back of Elisa’s hand as the tears finally made their way out of the mother’s eyes. Camila quickly pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back.

“Gracias, Camila. Que Dios te bendiga.”

Camila closed her eyes as she hugged the woman, waiting until Elisa pulled away to release her. Elisa wiped at her eyes and gave a sigh of relief along with a laugh, her eyes twinkling again and her cheeks round. Both she and Camila stood up and made their way back to the living room where Elisa spoke to her children.

“Guess who you’re staying with tomorrow?”

Both kids looked up at their mother with open eyes, Eddy’s drifting over to Camila then back to his mother.

“Camila?”

Elisa nodded and the two children grinned, Eddy yelling in excitement while Esperanza flapped her arms. Camila couldn’t hold back the smile as she looked at the children and she turned to face Eliza, hugging her tightly.

“What time do you want to bring them?”

Elisa tossed her head side to side as the thought.

“Is 9:30 ok?”

With a nod, Camila walked to the front door, waving goodbye to the children.

“Tomorrow at 9:30 is fine.”

* * *

“This looks good.”

Camila smiled proudly as Felipe looked at the cake in the plate. He looked back up at her and wrapped his right arm around her, Camila resting her head on his shoulder softly before they both pulled away. He saw that she left her car running in the front of the shop and nodded toward it.

“You taking some to the boys next?”

Camila nodded and smiled softly, Felipe learning to read her easily now.

“Yeah. I made a whole loaf for them.”

Felipe gave a chuckle.

“EZ could eat a whole loaf by himself.”

The two laughed and Camila nodded, knowing EZ’s appetite well enough to know how true that was.

“I left him some at home.”

“Your home or his home?”

Camila paused then, barely remembering that he had his own trailer to call home with how much he was at her place. Even though it was technically her home, Camila realized at that moment that in her head, that was their home. She cleared her throat then, looking down as Felipe held back a smile.

“My home. I left some in my house.”

The older man nodded, his smile on display now.

“Ahh. I see.”

She rubbed at her cheek as she felt it growing warm and pointed her thumb to her car out of the carniceria window.

“I guess I should go drop this off then.”

Felipe nodded in response and opened his arms, Camila hugging him.

“I’ll see you, mija.”

“See you, Felipe.”

The two separated and Camila turned away from him, heading toward the door of the show and walking out. She drove to the clubhouse then, windows down as she enjoyed the breeze. Her hair flipped around, some straying strands getting caught in her lip gloss. She pulled them out and kept humming along to her music, pulling up to the gate of the yard and parking before grabbing the plate from the passenger seat. She stepped out of the car and walked across the lot, opening the door to the clubhouse and being greeted with cigarette smoke and music. She peeked in as she stuck her head it and furrowed her brows as she saw the entire room empty, save for two girls talking in the kitchen and EZ who was wiping down the bar top. He looked up as he saw the movement and smiled immediately when he saw her, cheeks high and eyes crinkled as he saw his girl. He tossed the empty beer bottles in his hand into the trash before dropping the rag onto the bar top and walking around. She closed the door behind her and maintained her smile as he came up, one hand going straight to her hip and bringing her in closer to him as he pressed his lips to hers. She giggled against his lips as he tightened her grip on the plate, not wanting to drop the cake. He kissed her for a few seconds more before releasing her. He rested his forehead against hers, looking down at her.

“I missed you.”

Camila laughed softly.

“I can tell.”

He smiled in response and kissed her once more before pulling away entirely and looking at her hand.

“What’s that?”

“Coffee crumb cake.”

He whistled low and she smiled, walking with him to place it down on the bar top.

“Should I make the coffee now, or wait?”

EZ looked up at the shock and shook his head.

“They’ve been in a little while. They should be out soon, I’ll make it now.”

“Ok, baby.”

EZ’s smile was goofy and she rolled her eyes, pushing against his shoulder softly.

“Is that all it takes to get you all doe-eyed?”

The Prospect nodded and she laughed as he walked away to the kitchen. She pulled the cling wrap from the loaf, whispering harshly to him as she did.

“Bring me a knife!”

“Ok!”

EZ called back to her from the kitchen, getting the pot started when the Templo door slid open, the members pouring out. Each of them smiled as she saw her and walked over to where she was, clearly knowing that she came bearing food. They crowded around her, looking at the coffee cake, Angel reaching down with his fingers to break a piece off. Camila slapped the back of his hand before he could though and he pulled back with a pout, a motherly look on her face.

“Don’t eat with your hands, Angel. EZ is bringing me a knife. Wait your turn.”

Angel pursed his lips as he pulled away, the other members laughing as he playfully grumbled under his breath. She smiled as EZ came back with the knife and paper plates, holding them out to her as she cut slices of the cake and placed them down for EZ to hand out. She cut Angel and EZ’s slices after the others, those slightly bigger and gave it to them with a wink, both brothers wearing boyish smiles as they sat down to eat. One of the club girls that Camila had seen around last week came out of the kitchen holding the pot and some mugs. Karlene EZ had said her name was, a new girl. Camila took them from her with a smile and the redheaded girl returned it warmly, going back to get Camila the sugar and cream as well. She poured the coffee in while Karlene came back and began spooning in the sugar in the already filled cups.

“That cake looks so good.”

Camila smiled brightly and grabbed the last piece that she had set aside for herself, cutting it in half and giving the girl the piece. She looked down at the piece and went to hand it back, but Camila shook her head and pushed her band back silently. The girl’s smile was bright and she stepped back with a single nod.

“Thanks, Camila.”

“No problem.”

Karlene walked away to go sit and eat while Bishop stood and made his way over to Camila. She smiled as she noticed him and he returned it, putting his empty paper plate down onto the bar top and picking up a mug of coffee in its place.

“Gracias, querida.”

Camila bowed her head slightly.

“De nada, Bishop.”

The older man smiled warmly and pointed to the empty loaf pan.

“You know you’re gonna have to make us more now, right?”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Ahora, compórtate. Haz lo que ella diga, no causes ningún problema.” – “Now, behave. Do what she says and don’t cause any trouble.”  
> “Gracias por esto, mi amor.” – “Thank you for this, my love.”  
> “Que nombre bella.” – “What a beautiful name.”   
> “Y que mujer bella.” – “And what a beautiful woman.”

“Buenos días, Camila.”

Camila smiled as Elisa spoke. Opening the front door wider for the woman and her children to walk in.

“Bueno días, Elisa.”

“Hi!”

Camila chuckled as Eddy’s voice rang out loudly and she looked down to find him looking up at her, his hand moving frantically as he waved, Esperanza waving as well though much quieter as per usual. Camila watched as the children walked into her house. She had been to their house plenty of times, the children used to her now, but they had never been over to her home. Eddy bounced on his feet, unable to contain his excitement while Esperanza looked around silently, her pacifier moving slightly as she suckled and observed her new surroundings. Her round dark eyes finally settled on Cam and squinted as she smiled. Camila returned it before looking back at Elisa. Her long thick hair was pulled back into its usual ponytail though it was now slicked back perfectly. She wore grey slacks and a white blouse, black pumps on her feet. Camila gave a low whistle and Elisa hushed her, a pink hue coming to the roundness of her cheeks.

“Ay, nena.”

Camila laughed lightheartedly as she helped the woman unpack her children’s things.

“You look amazing, Elisa.”

The woman swatted at Camila, trying her best to hide her smile as she pulled out a lunchbox.

“Esperanza’s milk and her cup are here too. Just give it to her if she gets grumpy. I have their food in here too.”

With a tilt of her head, Camila took the lunchbox.

“I told you that you didn’t have to bring food. I can feed them here.”

“I know.”

Shaking her head, Camila took the lunchbox into her kitchen and placed it in the fridge, already knowing that she wasn’t going to take anything from there unless there was something specific the kids wanted to eat. Camila knew Elisa was running short on money and groceries for children wasn’t cheap. Better to keep that for when she was sending them to school. Elisa finished unpacking the back just as Camila returned to the living room to hear Elisa lecturing the children.

“Ahora, compórtate. Haz lo que ella diga, no causes ningún problema.”

“Si, mama.”

Eddy responded and threw an arm over Esperanza’s shoulders, hugging his little sister into his side. Elisa nodded, sufficed and pulled her children in for a hug, pressing a kiss to the tops of their heads. She turned them and pulled Camila into a hug of her own, the younger woman’s eyes going wide for a second before she settled in and wrapped her arms around her neighbor. Elisa spoke gratefully into Camila’s ear.

“Gracias por esto, mi amor.”

Elisa pulled away and Camila gave her a warm smile.

“Anytime.”

Elisa turned and waved once more to her children before heading through the living room and to the front door. Camila followed with the children, watching as Elisa walked down the driveway and across the grass to her own driveway. To Camila’s side, she heard Esperanza whimper around her pacifier as she watched her mother leave. Camila quickly reached down and offered the toddler her hand, which she quickly used both of her tiny hands to latch onto.

“She’ll be back, corazón.”

Esperanza looked up at Camila and nodded, tilting her head to rest her cheek against Camila’s thigh. Eddy, however, was already back inside, pulling his trucks out of the backpack that his mom had brought and beginning to play with them on the rug of Camila’s living room. Camila turned and ushered Esperanza ahead of her, not wanting her to see her mother drive away. Instead, she bent down to pick up on of Eddy’s toys and held it out to the younger sibling who took it and sat down cross-legged. With a smile, Camila stood back upright and opened her mouth to ask what they wanted for breakfast when her phone began to ring in the kitchen. Jogging over, she picked it up and looked down at the screen, an involuntary smile coming to her face. Swiping across, she brought the phone up to her ear.

“Hi, cariño.”

She could hear the smile in EZ’s words as he spoke.

“Hi, preciosa. Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

He had spent the night in his trailer the last couple of nights, club business having him busy until the early hours of the morning. He didn’t want to be waking her up when he came in so late so he’d elected to stay there, but three whole days of not sleeping next to her were already creating an aching longing within him.

“Are you busy today? I miss you.”

Camila’s hearts swelled at his words, but she winced at the same time.

“I’m not busy with plans but I am watching the kids from next door. I told their mom I would take care of them for her today. I was just about to see what they want for breakfast. Maybe you can swing by, come eat with us?”

Camila offered up the opportunity. She wasn’t sure if he was going to want to spend his day around kids when he had just wanted to be with her. To her surprise, his tone was cheery as she accepted, and she could hear his smile once again.

“Yeah, that’s cool. I just wanna be with you.”

Camila’s cheeks hurt with the width of her grin and she nodded, more to herself than anything.

“Well then come be with me.”

The couple said their goodbyes and hung up, Camila placing her down onto the counter and turning to walk back to the kids. They looked up as they felt her presence and she appealed to them.

“French toast?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Camila had barely finished whipping up the eggs when she heard the rumble of EZ’s bike coming up the street. Esperanza sunk into herself some at the noise while Eddy raced out of the kitchen and into the living room to look out of her window.

“Is that the man with a motorcycle?!”

Camila laughed to herself at the enthusiasm of the boy and nodded.

“Yep. That’s my boyfriend.”

Eddy’s eyes got impossibly bigger and he snapped his head over to stare at Camila.

“Wow. You’re so cool.”

The older sibling sprinted back into the kitchen then, asking questions one right after the other.

“Do you ever ride on his motorcycle? Is it scary? Does it mess up your hair? Do you get bugs in your mouth?”

Camila laughed heartily at his questions as EZ walked in through the already unlocked front door. Eddy looked at him from the kitchen then whispered to Camila.

“Is that him?”

“Mhm.”

EZ secured the door behind him and then turned. He beamed as he laid eyes on Camila, having missed being home with her.

Home.

He wasn’t sure when, but at some point, home to him had come to mean Camila’s house and he felt his heart flutter at he thought about one day owning a home with her. One that they shared, that they could call their own. For now, her home was more than enough for him and she walked into the kitchen, eyes now pulling away from his girl and toward the two children standing beside her, staring up at him with eyes like saucers. He imagined how he must have looked, a leather-wearing stranger towering over them. They had seen him a couple of times before when they were playing in the front yard and he would go to see Cam. He would wave and they would wave back. That was at a distance though. Taking a knee, he put themselves at their height and made sure to keep some distance as he smiled softly. He waved at the two of them, the boy waving back quickly while the girl hid much of her face behind Camila’s leg, only one of her big, brown eyes peering to look him over.

“Hi. I’m Ezekiel, you can call me EZ.”

“I’m Edwardo, you can call me Eddy.”

Camila laughed softly behind her hand as Eddy parroted EZ’s words, wanting to look cool.  EZ looked up at her as he heard her laugh, his smile widening before he looked over at the girl.

“Y tu, muñequita? What’s your name?”

She looked up at Camila who reached over to run her hand over EZ’s hair lovingly. The child then relaxed some, trusting Camila and unhiding her face from behind her leg, reaching a tiny hand up to pull the pacifier from her mouth. A squeaky voice came from her pouty lips.

“Esperanza.”

EZ wasn’t sure exactly what it was. Maybe it was her high-pitched tone or the way that she accentuated her name perfectly, but EZ thought she was the cutest thing in the whole world and his eyes turned into near slits as he smiled.

“Que nombre bella.”

Esperanza smiled and bashfully hide her face behind Camila’s leg again. EZ’s smile remained and he looked up at Camila, her eyes full of love as she looked down at him. Standing back up, he leaned toward her and pressed his lips against hers. He spoke against her lips after he pulled away some.

“Y que mujer bella.”

Camila smiled and pecked him once more before they pulled away entirely, Eddy standing patiently as he waited for them to finish.

“Are you gonna make the French toast now?”

Both adults looked down at the brother and Camila nodded, ruffling his hair as she knew he was hungry.

“Yep. We’ll start making them now.”

EZ smiled and rested his hand on Camila’s shoulder, squeezing softly.

“I’m gonna go wash my hands, then I’ll come help out.”

He walked away from the trio and headed to Camila’s bathroom, running his fingertips over her memorial altar gently as he passed. Turning on the faucet, EZ’s mind drifted to the last couple of days. As if things weren’t complicated and messy enough, Angel had let EZ into his clique, taking him out to the desert to introduce him to the side project he, Coco and Gilly had been working on.

Los Olvidados.

EZ couldn’t believe Angel, but he didn’t have the right to judge, considering the secret he still harbored. He worried about Angel. For his safety, for his future. His goal and intentions wouldn’t matter if the club found out what he was doing. Angel wanting to ‘save’ the club could very well end up being its demise and the thought made EZ anxious. He had a lot riding on this deal, KJ still poking around. If Angel’s connection to Adelita blew up, who knew what other secrets it would uncover. EZ swallowed dryly and looked down, the soap long gone from his hands. Shaking the excess water off, he shut the faucet and grabbed the towel hanging from the rack, drying his hands as he looked at his reflection. Just when things seemed to be settling down, more dirt got kicked up and the only thing that would be able to soothe his worries was Camila. Hanging the towel back up, he unlocked the door and walked out of the bathroom, down the hall. He walked through the living room and slid out of his kutte, hoping that removing the leather would make him seem more approachable to the tiny humans. He tossed it down onto her couch and walked toward the kitchen, stopping as Camila came into view.

She stood at the stove with her back to him, relaxed in her shorts and t-shirt. Eddy was beside her standing high on his tippy toes as he watched her dunk the piece of bread in the egg mixture before placing it onto the skillet, one hand hanging onto the hem of her yellow top. She held Esperanza, the toddler sitting high on her left hip, head resting on Cam’s shoulder and facing EZ. The little girl smiled softly as she saw him and then wrapped her arms around Camila’s neck, snuggling into her. EZ couldn’t see Camila’s face, but he could only imagine the joy she wore as she tilted her own head some, resting it against the child’s.

EZ swallowed as he took in the sight, a sudden surge of longing hitting him. He didn’t think about children often, in fact sometimes outright avoiding the thought of them. To think of them hurt. It brought back the memories of the anguish he felt learning that Emily had been pregnant, only for her to tell him that she was going to get rid of it in the same breath. He hadn’t regretted letting her go, he had felt that it would be for the better. Had he known she was carrying his child though, his reaction and handling of the situation would’ve been much different. He would’ve done what he had to do, whatever it was, to make sure that his child had a decent life. That opportunity was snatched away from him though and thoughts of children weren’t thoughts that he enjoyed having. Now in this moment though, for the first time since he could remember, the thought made a warmth spread through his chest. He could feel the scene in front of him differently. He could picture coming home after club business and walking into to see Camila as his wife, holding their children as she cooked dinner. He could picture a future with her where she gave him a family. Looking at her now, children in her motherly presence, he felt hope. He could hear Angel’s words repeating in his head.

_“I know after Emily, you didn’t know if you were gonna get another shot at a family or whatever. I think maybe this is your chance.”_

He watched as Cam grabbed the spatula and slid it under the first piece of French toast, turning to place it down onto a plate. In her movement, she saw EZ standing there from the corner of her eye and turned fully, facing him now. His eyes stayed glued to her, Esperanza still resting on her shoulder as she held her. Cam’s brows furrowed as she looked at him, unable to read his expression.

“You good?”

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he grinned stepping forward to help her finish up breakfast.

“Yeah, I’m good.”  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”`

EZ yawned as he sat on the couch, Camila on the opposite side while Eddy and Esperanza were between them. The lights in the living room were off as they watched COCO on Netflix and the darkness was starting to reveal the exhaustion he felt after the last couple of days. He just didn’t sleep the same without Camila by his side. He had gotten too used to it and now it just felt off. Angel had asked about the bags under his eyes and EZ had told him the truth. Angel had nodded, understanding and telling him to go and spend some time with her then made a whipping noise. EZ didn’t care how whipped he may have seemed, he was head over heels for Camila and there was no way he was going to hide it.

Looking away from the tv and over at her, he saw her watching the movie, fingers absentmindedly gently raking through Esperanza’s dark locks as she held the little girl. She was sat in her lap, her cheek squished as she rested against Camila’s chest. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and they blinked slowly, sometimes staying shut for a few seconds before snapping back open as the child woke herself up, not wanting to miss the movie. EZ pushed his bottom lip out in a pout at her cuteness and whispered to Camila.

“She’s almost out.”

Camila looked down and smiled, using her thumb to motion to the kitchen.

“Can you go and heat up her milk for me?”

With a nod EZ stood from the couch, ruffling Eddy’s hair as he walked away. He got the milk from the fridge and poured it into a glass, putting it into the microwave and warming it. He looked over at Cam while he waited. She sat looking down at Esperanza, a soft smile on her face as she brushed the girl’s hair away from her chubby face, tucking it behind her ears. The microwave beeped loudly, startling him and drawing back his attention. He took the milk out and tested it on his wrist before pouring it back into the sippy cup and returning to the living room. He handed the pink cup to Camila and she mouthed a thank you at him while he sat back down. Esperanza sat up some when she saw her cup and Camila held it out to her, the sister taking it and situating herself so she was laying back in Camila’s arms drinking. Eddy was tired as well and slowly started to lean into EZ’s side more and more as the movie went on. Finally, EZ lifted his arm and held it out, offering the space to Eddy who smiled tiredly and scooted in closer, resting against EZ’s side.

It wasn’t long before the movie was over and both children were asleep. Camila and EZ looked at each other as the credits rolled and EZ silently motioned his head over to her room. She gave a nod and they both slowly maneuvered themselves and the children until they held them in their arms, walking to the bedroom to lie them down. They both placed them down gently on the mattress, pulling the comforter to cover them. With the children settled in, EZ and Camila quietly made their way out of the room, leaving the door open so they could hear. Back in the hallway, Camila turned to EZ with a smile.

“Sorry. I know you wanted to hang but I promised I would watch them. She needed to go to an interview.”

“It’s fine, Cam. I don’t mind. This was fun.”

Camila laughed and he could tell that she didn’t believe him. Reaching out, he took both of her hands in his.

“I’m serious. I had a good time. They’re cute kids. It doesn’t always need to be a club part or a ride. Just being with you is enough.”

They were both quiet for a couple of seconds before bursting into laughter.

“That was cliché as fuck.”

EZ nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it was. I mean it though. I missed you.”

Camila’s laughter died away and she brought her arms forward to wrap around his waist, hugging him to her as she looked up.

“I missed you too.”

EZ’s smirk was prominent as he gazed down at her. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around her as well, his hands sliding over the swell of her ass as he pressed his lips against her ear. His voice was low and husky as he spoke.

“You can show me how much once they get picked up.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: “ Mi vida.” - “My life.”

EZ groaned as he stretched slightly, eyes fluttering open. His left arm tightened around Camila’s waist instinctively, pulling her even further into him, her back pressed against his chest. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat and he smiled as she cuddled further into him. EZ lifted his head and looked over at her nightstand to see the time, the clock and room well illuminated from the morning sun that shone through her white curtains.

10:27AM

They had slept well considering how tired they both had been. They were both ready to chill after spending the day watching the kids, but EZ had been consumed with thoughts of her carrying his children and lust had taken over once they had been picked up and they were alone. They had spent the next hour fucking lazily in Camila’s bed before they both went to sleep, satiated.  He didn’t say anything about his thoughts regarding children, he knew there would come a much better time to do that then as he was pulling her panties from her. He left that alone and simply ravished her until the late hours of the morning. Now EZ was up and he knew Cam had to be too, errands she had been putting off needing to be done. Leaning down he pressed his lips to the shell of her ear, kissing it gently as his hand softly rubbed at her side and tummy.

“Gotta wake up, babygirl.”

She made the noise again, though it sounded a little more annoyed than it had before.  He smiled as she grumbled.

“Let me sleep.”

EZ left another kiss to her form, this time on her cheek.

“I did, but we have to get up now.”

She whined but reluctantly opened her eyes, looking back at him. EZ looked her over, puffy eyes still heavy with sleep, dark locks out of place and splayed across the pillow. He could see the lines of the wrinkled pillowcase imprinted into the skin of her cheek and he laughed softly, pulling his hand up from her tummy until it was resting on her face. He used his thumb then to tap at her pout.

“Come. We’ll take a shower and then we can make breakfast.”

“Together?”

The prospect nodded lovingly, knowing she had thought he would be leaving to go to the clubhouse.

“Together.”

That seemed to work and soon they were both out of bed, Camila groggily walking with EZ hand in hand to her bathroom. She was in her panties and EZ’s shirt that she had tossed on before she had fallen asleep last night while EZ was still naked as ever. Once in the bathroom, he let go of her hand, going straight to the shower to turn it on while Camila took out her hair products and stood them on the counter, so they were ready for her when she got out. Grabbing her wide tooth comb, she began gently raking through her messy bed head, working out any knots while the bathroom began to fill with steam. She watched EZ in the mirror as he stuck his hand into the water, making sure it was hot enough before turning around to look at her. His eyes shamelessly gazed at her, pure adoration in his eyes as he walked up to her while she stood at the sink. His fingers slipped into the waistband of her panties while she continued to comb her hair, pulling them down her legs and steadying her as she stepped out of them. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted that from her body too. Camila put the comb down now and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his middle in a hug. They stood there silently, naked in their embrace, skin to skin. EZ pulled away first and nodded his head over to the shower, guiding her to the water.

They stepped into the shower together, EZ right behind her as they let the water run over them. Camila had always thought that the layout of the shower was weird, oddly large for the bathroom but now she couldn’t be happier at the design. EZ pulled back and reached for the shampoo bottle he had been using since he had been at her house, washing his short hair quickly while Camila simply relished in the near-boiling water.  Then he grabbed hers and poured it into his hand, starting to massage it into her scalp. She sighed happily and he couldn’t help but smile, watching as her shoulders relaxed even more and she leaned back into his chest. Her voice spoke out quietly, barely heard above the sound of the water.  

“I love you, Ezekiel.”

His grin was broad across his lips as he heard her and leaned down slightly to kiss her shoulder.

“I love you too, Camila.”

It was random, sure, but EZ had come to love that about her. Some people only told people they loved them when leaving or hanging up the phone, but Camila said it often and randomly throughout the day. Whenever the thought crossed her mind it seemed, and EZ was never going to complain about it.

He finished washing her hair and then grabbed the showerhead, detaching it from the holder and rinsing Cam’s hair, watching as the bubbles ran down the length of her back and the slope of her ass. He bit his lip softly and willed himself not to get hard, to no avail. This was the first shower that they had shared, and the intimacy paired with the view had him poking against her lower back in no time. Turning her head, she tossed him a look over her shoulder along with a bashful smile. She didn’t say anything about it but EZ knew there was no sense in trying to hide it and hung the showerhead back up on the handle before taking her hips in his hands and pressing himself against her completely. His hands began to wander, sliding along her skin away from her hips and to her tummy. His fingers glided along her slick skin, his hands coming to her breasts and massaging gently, loving the sigh that she gave. She reached behind her with one hand and grasped the back of EZ’s head, her back arching involuntarily as he gently squeezed her nipples, rolling them in his fingers.

His hands continued to squeeze and tease until she was squirming against him. Camila moaned as she felt EZ’s hand slide up her throat until it was gently gripping her jaw, angling her head back to rest against his shoulder so he could look at her while the other hand made its way down her tummy and between her legs. His fingers stroked her, his touch getting more gentle as he felt her flinch once he grazed her clit. She looked back at him and gave a half smile.

“Sorry. Still a little sensitive.”

EZ nodded in understanding and kissed her cheek. In her defense, EZ being ever the giving and attentive lover, he had rubbed her until she’d come three times the night before. He resumed his touch, softer this time as he stroked her. Gliding his fingers down, he probed at her entrance and found her already wet and not from the shower. At an agonizingly slow pace, he pushed his fingers into her until they were entirely sheathed within her. He pumped them, throwing in a subtle crooking of his fingers every now and then and before he knew it her walls were starting to flutter, and she was reaching down herself to pull his hand away. He locked eyes with her and watched as she smiled, biting her lip.

“I think I’m ready enough.”

EZ nodded, having a feeling that that was her standardly polite way of telling him to just hurry up and fuck her. He relented and retracted his fingers from within her, as well as pulling away the hand that had been holding her head back by her jaw. He used his newly free hands to rest on her shoulders and gently push her to lean forward until she was bent over in front of him, hands flat and braced on the tiled wall in front of her. Gripping himself, he stroked the length a few times before pressing the tip against her, running it through her lips just to see the way her thighs tensed ever so slightly. She turned her head to look back at him, her dark hair wet and sticking to her neck, shoulders and back. He placed himself at her entrance and slowly pushed in, eyes on hers the whole time. He awaited the tiny gasp she always gave whenever he entered her and…there it was. That quiet intake of breath when his thickness slid passed the resistance, when she felt full to the brim with the man that she loved. He pushed himself in until his hips were pressed against her ass and she whimpered. EZ gripped her hips and leaned forward, pressing kiss after kiss along her spine as his hips started to move. If there was anything that he loved more than that gasp, it would have to be the way her brows knitted and her eyes widened when he was inside of her, that look of pure pleasure that couldn’t be concealed. Her eyes were on fire as they looked back at him, a brown so deep with lust they looked black. She pleaded to him in a needy whine.

“More.”

It was vague and EZ wasn’t sure if she wanted it faster or harder, so he gave her both. He pulled his hips back further before snapping them once again, forcing a low moan from her. He watched as she spread her feet further apart, trying to take as much of him as she could. He left a few kisses more along her shoulder blades before he stood up straight and gripped the slope of her waist tighter, her hair starting to swing from the force of him as he pulled her back onto him. He hadn’t taken her this hard yet and from the way she was moaning, one hand leaving the shower wall to clutch at his wrist, he found himself wondering how the fuck not. The fingers of her right hand held onto him while the others scratched at the wall, trying to ground herself.

“Jesus, EZ.”

His own brows were knitted in pleasure and he reached forward, hand on her shoulder to drag her back into standing up, her back arching against his chest. He wrapped his left arm around her chest and shoulders, the bulk of his bicep and arm giving her something to hold onto with both of her hands as his other one traveled down between her legs, caressing her clit gently. Her eyes slipped closed and her mouth hung open as she stood there, EZ pounding into her from behind. She clung onto him, gasping and whimpering, completely at his mercy. The power he felt made him impossibly harder and he rubbed at her clit with more vigor, feeling her nails bite softly into the skin of his forearm. EZ groaned as he felt her walls starting to flutter and clench around him and he leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder, lips against her ear as he practically growled.

“Come for me, mi vida. Come on. Good girl.”

The sound of Camila crying out started to push EZ over the edge, but it was the vice that she had on him as she came, the overwhelming feeling of her tight warmth as she spasmed around his cock that hurled him over. He tensed from behind her, buried within her as he came, his arm holding her to him for all he was worth. Soon he released his grip on her, opting to keep his hands on her hips to keep her steady, her legs still a little weak. He turned her around to face him and looked down at her, a pink hue to her cheeks from the exertion, eyes somewhat still heavy lidded, her bottom lip even fuller that usual from her biting it. EZ leaned forward and kissed her gently, a stark contrast to the primal enthusiasm he had just exhibited. They stood there quietly, the water having already gone cold and soothing their heated skin as it rained down on them. EZ smoothed his hand over her hair, while she drew patterns on his chest with the tip of her finger. Suddenly, a small smile came to her lips and she looked up at him. He mirrored it, even if he didn’t know why she was smiling.

“What?”

Shaking her head, Cam shyly hid her face, resting her cheek on his chest.

“You said, “Mi vida.” You haven’t called me that before.”

EZ nodded, hand stroking her hair once again.

“Yeah. First time for everything I guess.”

Camila nodded against his chest and he could feel the movement of her cheek from her smile.

“Don’t let it be the last.”

Looking back up at him finally, EZ nodded, promising her.

“It won’t be.”

Hands on her shoulders, he turned her away from him. Reaching over, he grabbed her conditioner and coated her tresses with it, raking his fingers through her hair gently before grabbing her washcloth. He lathered up her soap, running the cloth along her body and leaving glittering bubbles behind in its wake. He scrubbed along her back and shoulder blades, taking the cloth down along the tops of her arms, continuing to wash her until he finished. Rinsing the washcloth and tossing it onto the drying rack, he rinsed Camila’s hair once again and made sure to get all the product out before rinsing her and shutting the water. She smiled happily and pulled the shower door open, stepping out onto the mat with him as he grabbed their towels. They dried themselves in silence, awake and ready for the day now. EZ ran the towel over his hair roughly before placing it to hang on the drying rack and looking at Camila.

“I’ll let you do your hair, I’m gonna go start breakfast.”

Camila smiled brightly and nodded, holding the fluffy white towel wrapped around herself.

“I’ll be right down.”

EZ left the bathroom and went into the room, grabbing a pair of sweats that Camila had bought for him to have in her house and sliding them on. He made his way out to the kitchen and began absentmindedly gathering what they would need for breakfast, his mind wandering back to the future again. He knew Cam was on birth control now, he would’ve used protection had she not been, but he couldn’t help to wonder what it would be like having a family with her. Having her as a wife to love and cherish and adore and protect. Having children with her so he could so the very same for them. Baby steps he reminded himself. As he placed the eggs down onto the counter, he figured he would talk to Felipe later. He’d been right about everything so far, always knowing what to say and what would be best. EZ figured if there was anyone that could offer him guidance with this, it would be his father. With a content sigh, he started cracking the eggs and could hear Camila out of the bathroom and now in the bedroom. She shook out her damp hair and pulled on a new pair on panties, throwing a baggy shirt on top while EZ’s phone began to vibrate over on the nightstand. She quickly pulled on some shorts and made her way over to his phone, figuring that Angel or someone from the club probably needed him to come in earlier. Picking it up, her brows furrowed as she looked down at the screen and she gave a confused laugh, hurrying out of the room to give it to EZ before they hung up. He looked up as he heard her coming in and he smiled before his eyes caught the device in her hand.

“E.T.’s phoning home.”

She gave a laugh at her own stupid joke and EZ forced himself to laugh too, even though his heart was pounding now. What could Emily want? They hadn’t spoken face to face since he had been in that visitation room, chained up those many years ago. Somehow, she had gotten his number after she had spotted him in town and left him a voicemail, but it had been small talk, just saying that she was glad to see him doing well and hoped his family was ok too. He had called her back and they’d spoken for around 2 minutes, him telling her that he was fine and so was his family. That had been it and they hadn’t spoken since. There wasn’t a reason for them to speak, not as far as he could see. Sure, he cared enough to want to make sure that she was ok, she was the mother of his first child. It didn’t matter if he never got to meet the child. She would always hold that importance to him and his past, but he didn’t want that to start creating issues in his present and future. He swallowed around a dry throat and ignored the call, turning to face Camila as she called his name. There she stood, her hair drying into loose waves as she beamed at him.

“Let’s make bacon too.”

The prospect nodded and left a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Yes, ma’am.”


	24. Chapter 24

“So, how’s the garden, querida?”

Camila smiled and looked up at Bishop.

“It’s doing well. Flourishing. EZ and I planted a couple of new herbs and they’re starting to sprout. I may have full pumpkins by spring.”

The president nodded with a smile, as did Tranq who sat beside him at the bar as they watched Camila prepare their cups of coffee. Tranq’s voice rumbled as he spoke next.

“EZ and Angel say its beautiful back there.”

Camila’s smile was proud as she agreed.

“Not because it’s mine, but yeah it is. You guys should come by one day. Once it gets closer to spring, everything starts growing like crazy. Sometimes too fast for just me and the boys to eat. Whenever you want, you guys can come and pick some stuff.”

The men smiled warmly as Camila handed them their cups.

“We’ll be doing that soon then.”

Grabbing their mugs, they both stood from the bar and whistled, drawing the attention of the other members. Tranq nodded his head over towards el Templo, calling them.

“Let’s go.”

The scattered Mayans all stood and started making their way over, each stopping by the bar to grab their cup of coffee and take it in with them. Soon enough everything was quiet, and Camila began cleaning up, tossing the coffee covered spoon down into the sink. The metal clattered and over it, Camila heard a soft voice.

“Can I help?”

Turning around, she saw the redhead from the other day. A good handful of inches taller than Cam, and a more slender frame as well.

“Sure. Karlene, right?”

The girl’s smile was wide and her already large, green eyes were wider as she nodded, quickly starting to help Cam clear the counter.

“Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you, finally. I’ve heard Angel and EZ talking about you a lot. Gilly too.”

Camila laughed softly as they thought about her boys, a bashful smile on her lips as she started wiping down the counter.

“They talk a lot period. Nice to meet you too. I love your hair.”

Karlene beamed and grabbed a handful of it, looking over the color.

“It’s not my natural color. It’s usually a bright red but it’s fading. I haven’t found the motivation to touch it up. It’s so messy and time-consuming.”

Camila nodded, understanding her struggle.

“My cousin used to have her hair like that, but she was always getting the dye everywhere, so I used to do it for her. I know how much determination it takes to keep it up.”

The girls laughed together and Karlene paused, looking over Cam for a moment as she continued to clean. She liked her, Camila having been nice to her from the beginning and not treating her any different than she treated anyone else in the club. Karlene didn’t have many friends, any really, and she couldn’t help but feel like maybe Camila would be a good one to have.

“Maybe one of these days you can do it for me.”

Camila looked away from the counter and over to the sweetbutt, who suddenly rubbed at the back of her neck and started back peddling.

“You don’t have to of course. I know EZ said you’re busy with the garden and the bookstore and everything like that, so I get it if you don’t,”

“I’ll do it.”

Karlene smiled as Camila cut her off, her shoulders relaxing as she saw the warm look on Cam’s face.

“Ok, cool. Whenever you’re free, no rush or anything.”

“This Thursday will be fine.”

The girls fell quiet after that, finishing their cleaning before grabbing some juice and heading outside, waiting for the MC to finish up and for EZ to finish stocking the back room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“  

“There she is.”

Camila looked away from her phone as she heard the door to the clubhouse open and the sound of Angel’s voice. She smiled immediately and stood from her seat on the steps, Angel’s arms opening for an embrace while Coco, Gilly, and EZ filed out behind him. Angel hugged her tightly, her lungs feeling a little restricted.

“I haven’t seen you in forever, Chiquita.”

Camila laughed and slipped out of his arms.

“It’s been three days, Angel.”

The group laughed as she hugged the rest of the boys before she got to EZ, last in line and wearing a grin.

“Hola, mami.”

EZ leaned down for a kiss while the others groaned and started to sit down at the outside table.

“Get a room.”

Karlene stood off to the side quietly, hands together as they hung in front of her before she waved at Camila.

“I’m gonna head back inside, sweep the floors.”

Camila turned away from EZ, her eyes following the new acquaintance who was already in the clubhouse before Camila could say anything. Looking back at EZ, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms instinctively wound themselves around her waist and he listened as she questioned him.

“How long has she been around?”

EZ looked back at the door and then returned his gaze to Cam.

“Like a week or so. Why?”

Shrugging, Camila looked over EZ’s hair, the length having grown a little, a slight start of a curl at the front.

“She just seems like she could use a friend.”

The Prospect nodded and maneuvered Camila’s arms off him so he could sit down beside the others, pulling her down to sit on his lap. He pulled her legs across his thighs and held his hand to her lower back, keeping her in place.

“I know she keeps more to herself. She just moved last month I think.”

Angel nodded from his seat across the way, lighting up a cigarette and speaking around it as it hung from his lips.

“Yeah, she came from Colorado or some shit. Got into trouble with an ex, had to escape him. She works over at that strip club now, you know the one with the purple walls in the bathroom and blue lights?”

When he finally lit the tip, he looked up to find everyone’s eyes on him.

“What?”

Camila laughed as she looked at him.

“You go there often?”

Angel took a drag and shook his head.

“I mean not _often_ ,”

“Just often enough to know the décor of the bathrooms.”

He lifted his middle finger up to Camila with a smirk while the rest chuckled, the laughter dying down until there were a few moments of silence while everyone enjoyed the soft breeze. It was broken by Coco.

“Thanks for the strawberries by the way. I took some to my sister. She really liked them.”

Camila smiled brightly as she looked at him, a small tilt of her head.

“I’m glad. I’ll let you know when more grow enough to be sweet. I didn’t know you had a sister.”

Coco nodded in agreement, a slight hesitation that Camila didn’t catch.

“Yeah, she’s young, still a teenager.”

“I’m sure you’re the best big brother.”

Coco didn’t respond after that, simply looking down and pulling out his own cigarette to light. In the pocket of his kutte, EZ’s phone began to vibrate and he pulled it out, eyes locking on the screen as Camila looked down at his phone. It was an innocent action. She wasn’t doing it to snoop or invade, she was just curious and looked over the screen from her angle, instinct from him pulling it out. Before he could swipe to silence the call, Camila caught those same initials again.

E.T.

She remembered them from the other day when his phone had rung as well, and her curiosity spiked some. EZ quickly stuffed the phone back into his kutte and looked up at her with a smile, his hand making its way back to the small of her back where he gently dragged his fingers back and forth. She shrugged it off then and turned away, her eyes landing on Angel now to tease him some more over his memorization of the strip club design. When she did though she found his eyes already on them, or more so on his brother, no trace of a smile there anymore. She gave a small half-smile and he quickly forced a fake one back at her, as if she didn’t know him well enough to be able to tell the difference. Try as he might to hide it, there was annoyance in his face and before she could ask if he was alright, he stood from his seat, motioning to the group.

“Let’s go. We got shit to catch up on.”

He left it and that and the two patches stood, following him through the yard to the bikes. Looking down, Camila pointed to them as they walked away.

“Don’t you have to go with them?”

EZ winced and nodded, wishing he could stay with her.

“Yeah, I do, but I’ll see you tonight when I get home ok?”

Camila’s smile soothed him some and he took a breath, grateful that she clearly hadn’t put two and two together about who was calling him. From the bikes, Coco called out.

“Come on, boy scout!”

EZ patted his hand on Camila’s bottom and she stood, as did he. She smoothed her hands over the front of his kutte and looked up at him.

“I’ll head home, start getting everything ready for dinner. What time do you think you’ll be back?”

EZ hesitated, not wanting to give a time and then be late, having her waiting up for him. The sharp whistle Angel gave to rush him made him curse and she shook his head.

“Let’s say 7?”

With a nod, Camila pushed up and left a kiss to his lips.

“See you at 7.”

EZ nodded and pulled away from her, jogging over to the bikes while Cam headed to her car. The three members were already on their bikes and strapped into the helmets when EZ got to them, Angel eyeing his baby brother.

“Was that who I think it was?”

EZ squinted in confusion and Angel scoffed.

“Don’t play dumb. On the phone.”

EZ understood then and was short in his response.

“Yeah.”

Angel nodded to himself, his displeasure clear on his face at the verification. EZ wanted to say something, try to explain but he had no time. Angel quickly started the bike, the deafening rumble ceasing any conversation. EZ sighed and quickly finished strapping his helmet before starting his own bike and pulling out behind the rest. He would talk to Angel later when they had time and privacy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

Camila looked over at the clock again and sighed.

8:45 PM

Her nerves were shot as she paced around the house. She had kept it warm until she realized that EZ was running more than just a little late.  She didn’t want to overcook it and had turned it off, opting to just reheat it when EZ came home in the next half hour. However, half an hour had turned into a full hour, then an hour and a half and now here she was, one hour and forty-five minutes of waiting and he still wasn’t home. She had called him a handful of times with no response, her calls simply going to voicemail. Her texts had gone unanswered as well and she was more than worried. After EZ had opened up some about the issue with KJ, Camila knew that there had to be more to the picture than EZ was letting on. The Feds didn’t simply give someone a reduced sentence from 35 years down to 8 without there being some valuable info they could get in exchange. What that info was, Camila wasn’t sure. What she was sure of was that it could very easily be dangerous business and EZ not answering his phone was a sign for her to be worried. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but as a last resort, she figured she could try Angel. They had left together after all. Grabbing her phone from the counter, she unlocked it and clicked Angel’s name, holding the phone to her ear as it rang. He picked up on the third ring and Camila have a sigh of relief, thankful that at least he was ok.

“Hey, Cam.”  

“Hey, Angel. Sorry to bother you, I was just wondering when you guys would be finishing up. EZ said he’d be home around 7 for dinner and he hasn’t called to say he’d be late. I’ve been calling and he isn’t answering, and I was just worried.”

Camila gave a breathless laugh on her side of the phone, her nerves already feeling better now that she had heard Angel’s voice. Angel, however, was less than soothed, his jaw clenching as he sat on his couch, at home, alone. They had finished up with Adelita by 7:15 and had all gone their separate ways, EZ saying he would be heading home for dinner. Where the fuck he actually was, he didn’t know, but he did have a hunch. Remembering that Camila was still on the line, he suppressed a sigh.

“Yeah, we’re finishing up now. We just ran late. I’ll make sure he gets his ass home quick.”

Camila smiled, her shoulders relaxing.

“Gracias, Angel.”

He couldn’t hide his sigh this time and responded, his teeth still gritting together some.

“You’re welcome, Chiquita.”

They said their goodbyes and then Angel was immediately dialing Felipe’s number. If EZ wasn’t with him then he would start worrying about his safety. He was almost sure he would be there though; the father and youngest son having been spending more and more quality time together, excluding Angel. While it wasn’t something new, it still stung, and Angel didn’t bother with pleasantries when his father answered the phone.

“Hola, mijo.”

“Is EZ there with you?”

There was a slight pause before Felipe verified.

“Yes, we’re at the shop.”

Angel nodded on his end, more to himself as he knew that no one would see it. He couldn’t keep the edge from his voice as he replied.

“Yeah, well tell him to check his phone and go the fuck home so he can eat the dinner his girlfriend made for him.”

Felipe winced as Angel hung up and looked over at EZ who had his brows furrowed in confusion. Felipe placed the phone down and EZ spoke.

“What’s up?”

Felipe sighed and looked at the clock, pointing to it.

“Apparently you were supposed to be home for dinner.”

EZ’s eyes followed his father’s finger to the clock on the wall and he cursed, shooting up from his chair. He quickly dug around in his pockets for his phone and came up empty.

“Fuck.”

He had left his cell out in the bike while he was inside.

“I gotta go, pop.”

Felipe nodded and the two exchanged a quick embrace before EZ was jogging out of the carniceria and hopping on his bike, forgoing the helmet to make up whatever little bit of time he could. The wheels in his head were spinning a mile a minute as he thought about how he had fucked up. The fact that Angel called means that Cam had tried him plenty of times before calling Angel when she got no response. Things between him and Angel had started to feel different lately and EZ was sure that Angel was picking up some off vibes. EZ could only hope that Angel hadn’t used this as an opportunity to throw him under the bus.

He made it to Camila’s house in record time, grabbing his phone to check the time as he walked up to her house.

9:03 PM

EZ shook his head and took a deep breath, not knowing what he was going to walk into. Angel could’ve covered for him and Camila would be only slightly irritated at him being late, or Angel could’ve said the truth and Camila would be pissed, wondering where he had been for the last two hours. As he stood at the front door, waiting as she opened the door. She was in her usual loungewear, but the frown on her face was not usually there. He sighed heavily as he saw her and began apologizing immediately, just in case.

“I’m so sorry, mi corazón. I know I said I would be here by 7 and you cooked,”

Camila shook her head, her hands reaching out to take his face in her hands.

“I was just worried. You weren’t answering and I thought…I thought something had happened.”

EZ placed his hands over hers and smiled softly.

“I’m ok, baby.”

She nodded and laid a kiss on his chest before letting him go.

“Angel said that things ran late but you would be home soon, so I started heating everything back up.”

EZ internally let out a breath of relief as she pulled away and led him into the house. He followed behind her and locked up, knowing he was going to have to do some major ass-kissing for Angel in the days following.


	25. Chapter 25

“Is it all good? Did we miss anything?”

EZ chuckled as Camila looked around the house quick for the hundredth time. He walked up closer to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Her hands came up to hold onto his sides and she looked up at him and he hushed her.

“Its fine Cam. The guys don’t care trust me. Even if the house was a mess, which it never is, they don’t care. They’re just coming for the vegetables and to see the garden. Relax.”

She took in a deep breath and let it out, nodding as she looked up at EZ.

“I just,”

“What, you think they suddenly would stop liking you because there was dust on the shades? Come on.”

Pulling away, EZ grabbed her hand and walked with her into the kitchen. With her back against the counter, he placed his hands under her arms and lifted her up onto the white granite. She jumped slightly, her hands gripping his shoulders as the back of her thighs hit the cold. EZ only laughed and kissed her mouth gently as she settled there. He leaned forward and rested his palms on the counter as well, arms to either side of her as he leaned forward, resting his head against her chest. Her arms immediately wrapped around him and she cradled his head. His voice was a low rumble as he relaxed in her embrace.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Camila smiled and continued to stroke the back of his head gently, raking her nails along his scalp every now and then.

“I told you EZ, it’s ok. You’re the prospect, you’re done when they tell you that you’re done. I understand. You can’t help it if they run late and you have to stay.”

EZ was grateful his face was hidden at that moment. He didn’t want her to see the look of pure vehement shame that he wore. Lying generally, ever since he was little, was something that he hated. He hated having to lie to his parents, he hated lying to Angel. Now with Camila in his life, he was lying more than he ever had before. He was lying about his true intentions with the club, he was lying about what he did with the club and now he was lying about how he spent his time when she was waiting on him. It was wearing him down and apparently, she could feel his body tensing. The hands that were grasping his head gently now got slightly more firm and she pulled his face back up to face him. She looked into his eyes and gave a small smile.

“I promise, Ezekiel. Don’t worry about it.”

The fact that she thought he was tensing because he didn’t believe her made him feel even worse and he pulled away entirely, forcing a smile that even he could feel was fake. By the look in her eyes, the slight narrowing that she quickly concealed, he could tell that she also knew it was fake. Saying nothing, she allowed him to pull away from her, hands gripping her as he helped her get back down from the counter. Just as her socked feet hit the ground, the rumbling of bikes could be heard in the far distance. Camila’s smile was back then, and she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet for a moment before going to open the door and wait for the men.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Camila smiled as she poured five glasses of her fresh lemonade, looking out of the sliding doors to watch the boys wander around her garden. Bishop and Tranq were walking around, looking through the plants and picking something every now and then, adding it to the bag she had given them. Taza, on the other hand, was simply walking around peacefully, hands crossed behind his back as he simply took in the sight. Every now and then he would lean down to smell a fruit or place his hand out for a butterfly to land on then continue walking the stone path.

Angel and EZ were off under the porch covering, speaking privately. What the conversation was about, she wasn’t sure. What she was sure about was that they were both irritated, the lines on Angel’s forehead deeply set as he spoke to EZ, his body language looking like he was giving a scolding. There was nothing but hand movements, both accusatory and defensive and suddenly Angel’s hand shot out, pointing into the house at what Camila assumed was meant to refer to her. She looked away then, feeling like she was intruding. She was curious, no doubt. She hoped that she hadn’t caused a problem by calling so much when they were busy. She hadn’t meant to be annoying or clingy and she hoped they knew that.

She couldn’t help but glance back up then, seeing both brothers now staring down as opposed to each other as they had been before. Camila trailed her eyes down and saw that they were both looking down at EZ’s phone. They glanced back up at each other, Angel’s eyes on fire, and when EZ swiped at the screen and brought the phone up to his ear, he tossed his hand aggressively in dismissal of his brother. EZ turned around then, walking off to the side to take his call while Angel shook his head clearly not thinking that EZ should answer the call and pulled open the sliding glass door, walking back into Camila’s home. She looked back down at the glasses for a moment, not wanting him to know she had been watching. When she felt him getting closer, his feet thudding heavily on the floor, she looked up to find him looking frustrated. She offered a smile as he came to stand beside her, and he returned a fake one. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut this time.

“Everything ok, Angel? And don’t lie.”

She had said the last part more to seem playful, but it seemed Angel didn’t catch on.

“It’s fine, Camila. I ain’t lying.”

His tone was sharp when he spoke to her and she recoiled slightly. He took notice and sighed, leaning to the side to rest his hip against the counter, forcing his shoulders to relax as well as his vocal cords. His voice was much softer when he spoke again, more like she was used to.

“I’m sorry, chiquita. I’m just overwhelmed.”

Camila nodded but kept her gaze down and he reached over, grasping her shoulder and squeezing slightly until she looked back up to meet his eyes.

“I mean it. I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you. I’m sorry.”

Camila nodded then and gave another smile.

“It’s ok. I just don’t want you feeling like you have to deal with shit alone. You can talk to me if you need to.”

The Mayan nodded, knowing that she was speaking the truth. He knew she was one of the few people he could count on to confide in and not be judged. That was partially why he was so furious with EZ and his reluctance to simply ignore Emily. He had brought EZ into the loop, brought him into his plans concerning Los Olvidados. Adelita worked on her own, she didn’t run things by Angel before she did them. How was he supposed to know that she was going to kidnap Emily’s kid? He understood that it was a shitty thing to do, but she had her reasons, and Angel couldn’t wrap his head around why EZ was making it his business to help Emily. He said she had called after it happened, saying that she didn’t know who else to go to and that she felt she could trust EZ to get answers, despite their rocky past. Angel had told EZ to leave it and the younger brother ignored him, as he had always done. Always thinking he knew best. Now here he was wrapped up in the MC, the side project with Los Olvidados and now he was caught up with his ex because he felt that he owed her help. The whole thing was a fucking mess and it was giving Angel more and more of a headache as the days went on.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Cam realized who was calling and the hiding was only going to raise suspicion. Angel had covered for EZ one too many times already and by now he was ready to let his baby brother take the fall for whatever repercussions came as a result of his stupidity. That would mean Camila getting her feelings hurt though and that was something Angel didn’t want. He was facing one ethical dilemma after another and he was tired.

Offering Camila a real smile, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. She grinned and grabbed his glass, holding it up to him. Angel took the fresh lemonade gratefully. With a tap to his free hand, she lifted the tray with the other glasses and motioned for him to follow her back out.

“Let’s go give everyone else theirs.”

Angel said nothing and simply followed her, handing her his glass to hold while he grabbed the tray from her hands and carried it out for her. The two walked quietly out of the house and she opened the sliding door, following Angel outside. EZ was the closest, sitting on one of the chairs on the porch. Seeing then both back outside, he quickly said goodbye and ended his call. Camila hesitated and looked over at Angel, who gave her a solemnly sympathetic look. It was then that she realized that he hadn’t been upset himself because of whoever was calling. He was upset for her. Her mind started rolling then, trying to come up with who she would possibly be upset about him speaking to. All she could come up with was KJ. Maybe EZ had lied. Maybe he had told her things that weren’t true about their cousin simply because he didn’t want her getting close. Those were most definitely not letters that could ever stand for his initials. She suddenly recalled then what he had said when he had forced her to look at that picture.

_“That’s Emily Thomas.”_

She remembered the screen from when it had rung in the room and she had brought it to EZ, then when they had been at the clubhouse and he had quickly tried to hide it.

E.T.

It was almost as if smoke had cleared and yet gotten thicker at the same time. Now she knew who it was, but it answered one question and created ten more. When Kevin had brought up Emily, EZ had been angry and she had told him that she wasn’t upset, that she understood the history, that she wasn’t jealous. They had agreed that an ex was an ex and she’d told him that didn’t care about his past. Except now his past was starting to meddle in his present and Cam felt a sinking feeling. EZ had assured her that he had nothing left with Emily, yet he had left her alone at their first club event to play catch up. He assured her that there was nothing there, yet now she knew they were keeping contact. Hidden contact. Camila could feel the tops of her ears getting hot and her stomach growing uneasy. It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her wrist that she came back to earth and realized she had zoned out. Blinking and looking at her arm to find EZ’s hand there. His hand was holding her arm, his brows knitted in concern.

“You ok baby? We’ve been talking to you and you just,”

EZ trailed off, looking her over. It had been a solid 10 seconds where she was there in body but not in mind. Looking to the side, she found Angel there looking worried as well, though by the look he wore when they locked eyes, she was sure he may have known why. Camila swallowed around a suddenly dry throat and nodded, not able to find words quick enough.  Instead, she simply pointed to the tray of lemonade that Angel was holding for her.

“I made lemonade.”

As gently as she could, she shook off EZ’s hand. She saw the flash of hurt across his eyes, but her mind was going into overdrive and she couldn’t spare sympathy for the moment. She pulled away and motioned back into the house with her thumb.

“I forgot the napkins.”

She didn’t wait for either Reyes brother to say anything, simply turned and walked back into her home, the air of happiness and family that he previously been in the air having evaporated. She closed the door behind her and walked back to the kitchen, hiding herself in the corner where she knew no one could see her from outside. She took several deep breathes and tried to steady herself. She was never the jealous type. Never one to be worried about another woman. Never one to be controlling or want to be in her man’s business. She had also never been faced with her man constantly hiding the fact that he was talking to his ex though. That was new, as were the worry that was starting to bubble in her stomach. The sound of the sliding door being pulled open hit her ears and she rolled her shoulders, trying to erase the sudden tension that had built up. Footsteps could be heard, softly going through the living room and into the kitchen and she couldn’t really tell who it was. Turning slightly, she looked over her shoulder and gave a smile, Bishop giving her one as well.

“The lemonade is wonderful. Why don’t you get yourself a glass as come sit outside with us?”

His warmth soothed Camila some and she nodded, grabbing another glass for herself.

“I’ll be right there.”

The President smiled once more and stepped back, going back outside while Camila poured herself a glass. She grabbed a handful of napkins from the rack and then made her way back outside to the others. Stepping outside, she looked around the patio and saw two open seats. One on the left over next to EZ, the other on the bench next to Angel. Walking to the right, she took a seat beside the older brother and took a sip of her lemonade, actively avoiding EZ’s eyes that were burning holes into her. She was quiet as the boys made conversation, simply drinking her lemonade as she willed herself to relax. She told herself that she was just reading into it too much but there was a nagging feeling that made her feel like there was much more going on behind the scenes than she was being let in on. To say that it hurt her feelings was an understatement. The feeling on Angel softly pushing his shoulder into hers pulled her out of her thoughts once more. She looked up at him and he gave her a small smile.

“You good, hermanita? And don’t lie.”

His duplication of her words from earlier made her chuckle and she told the truth, quietly.

“Been better.”

Angel nodded and looked at her sincerely, a pained look coming over his face.

“Talk to him.”

He looked away from her then and tried to focus back on the conversation. Camila did the same, but she stole a glance at EZ to find him looking like a kicked puppy. His face looked how she felt, and she looked away once again when the President stood and so did the others.

“Well, we gotta get going. We have to ride into town.”

Camila nodded and stood with them, each of them coming to hug her and say goodbye. One by one the embraced her and walked back into the house to leave until there was only EZ left. They stood there together in silence for a moment before EZ slowly reached out, giving her time to reject his touch. When she didn’t, he slid his hand along her waist to her lower back.  He opened his mouth to speak but she quickly raised her finger up to silence him.

“I know you have to go but we need to talk. Tonight? Will you have time?”

With a gulp, EZ accepted.

“Yes. I’ll be back tonight. It might be late, but I’ll be home. I promise.”

Camila thought to herself to take that promise with a grain of salt but didn’t tell him.

“OK.”

She was short, upset, and the last thing that EZ wanted to do was leave her that way. He knew that she must’ve figured it out and he wanted to explain, to defend himself and soothe whatever worries his foolishness had caused, but he didn’t have time. He knew that Bishop was having them cross under the border tonight and they needed to get going. He felt that a kiss was pushing it and so instead he took her face in his hands, leaning down and resting his forehead against hers. His voice was soft as he spoke.

“I love you, Camila. _I love you_.”

It was the best he could do. He didn’t have time to explain, to assure her that what was going on with Emily didn’t pose a threat to her or their relationship. All he could do was remind her that she was everything to him. With a nod, she looked up at him through her lashes. She knew he loved her, but his secrecy was starting to weigh heavily on her and she wished that he would just be entirely honest. She would speak with him tonight and lay everything on the table, no longer worried about being gentle or polite. Heaving a deep sigh, she closed her eyes as her forehead stayed resting against his.

“I love you too, EZ.” 


	26. Chapter 26

The house was spotless when EZ walked back inside. It was going on midnight and he was thankful that he hadn’t stupidly given her a time to expect him back by. He closed the door behind him softly and gave a sigh as he toed off his shoes, leaving them on the mat by the door. He pulled off his kutte next, laying it on the counter and walking through the house to find his girl. Peering into the living room, the tv was on but the couch was empty and EZ’s brows knitted. He walked through the living room and saw the light on out on the patio. With an even deeper sigh, EZ started making his way out to the garden. Finding her out there relaxing on any other way was a good sign. Finding her there so late at night after finding out he was talking to Emily was not and the prospect swallowed before he placed his hand on the sliding door and pushed it open, stepping outside. There was a soft breeze, the light from the hanging lamps providing a glow. He looked at the chairs and found them empty as well. The only other place she could’ve been was the hammock and when he looked over at it, sure enough there she was. Resting, eyes closed while her body was curled up in the yellow woven fabric. She had an open book laying on her tummy and EZ reached for it, grabbing her bookmark and sticking it into the binding before closing it. His hands were gentle as he touched her, one raking the hair out of her face, the other gently stroking her cheek as he spoke to her.

“Cam, baby, wake up. Wake up, mami.”

Her eyes fluttered open and he wasn’t sure if it was his touch or his voice. She smiled softly, something she always did when she first opened her eyes and saw him, but it wasn’t nearly as bright as it usually was and EZ knew he was in for it. He held his hands out to her and she took them, allowing him to help her out of the hammock safely. Once on her own two feet though, she removed her hands from his and pointed into the house.

“Can we,”

EZ nodded and so did she, making her way back into the home with EZ trailing behind her. Shutting the door and the light outside, he followed her into the living room and took a seat on the couch next to her. She didn’t cuddle up into his side as she usually did, in fact, she wasn’t even touching him. She sat in her own seat and turned her entire body to face him, legs crisscrossed as she sat sideways on the couch. She hadn’t even said anything yet, but her body language already had him sweating.

“Have a lot that I wanna say so just…let me say it before you but in please.”

EZ nodded. Basically, the Camila way of saying shut the fuck up and listen. He turned his body toward her some just so she knew that he really was listening to what she had to say and cared. Getting scolded wasn’t something he was used to, and he knew that the next hour was likely going to make up for it.

“You’ve been talking to Emily.”

It wasn’t a question, more a statement. EZ nodded once and Camila continued.

“I told you that I didn’t mind when Kevin brought her up. I didn’t mind that she was your ex. I know that she was the mother of your first child. I know how important you were to each other, I get that. But you said that she didn’t matter anymore and that clearly isn’t true.”

EZ opened his mouth to deny but Camila held up her hand, her voice missing the warmth it usually held.

“Let me speak, Ezekiel.”

EZ frowned but nodded and closed his mouth, his hands itching to reach out and touch her to at least offer her any comfort that he could. Convinced that he understood, she continued.

“You said that I didn’t have to worry about her, that she was just someone from your past and you had nothing to hide. Yet you denied knowing her when we first saw her. Then you left me alone at Marcus’ party to catch up and I let it go. Now you’re sneaking around, having secret calls with her and I’m getting tired of it. I know that there’s shit you can’t tell me because of the club or whatever, but things are getting more and more cloudy and I don’t like it. Club business is one thing. That doesn’t concern me, but you constantly keeping contact with your ex does. That doesn’t have anything to do with the club and yet you’re still keeping it a secret.”

EZ swallowed at that. It was true, she knew there were things that he couldn’t tell her because of the club and while an ex in generally didn’t fall into this category, this one did. Emily’s baby had been taken and he had been terrified for her. Even if it wasn’t his kid, it was the kid of the woman that he used to love. He knew it was foolish at best and unhealthy at worst, but he couldn’t help but feel responsible for the child in some regard. Like he needed to keep that child safe since he couldn’t protect the one that Emily had aborted. It was stupid, Angel had made sure that he knew that much, but he couldn’t help it. The fact that Emily was now with Miguel and tied to the business side complicated things even more.

Emily was more than just an ex. She was his ex who was married to the cartel leader that was putting money in his and the club’s pocket. And the mother of the child his brother’s side project had kidnapped. EZ had been prepared to stay out of it, but when Emily had called him in hysterics, begging for his help in finding her baby, he couldn’t find it in himself to just say no. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He had told Angel, who had made it very clear that if EZ told the truth about where the baby was, they could all kiss their asses goodbye at the hand of the club. Telling Emily the truth wasn’t an option and so instead EZ had given half-truths. That he didn’t understand what was happening, but he would try to figure it out. That he didn’t have any answers right now, but he would still help her out. EZ was angry because now his personal life had bled into his club life and Camila was getting the short end of the stick. She didn’t even know that he was participating in illegal acts as is, there was no way he could come clean about working alongside a cartel. It would be too much laid on her at once and as much as he knew she loved him, he was sure that she would bounce. Who wouldn’t?

Camila could feel the pain coming from him as he sat in front of her and she sighed, forcing herself not to reach over and comfort him. She knew she needed to be strong, to force him to see that she wasn’t going to stand for whatever type of bullshit he was trying to feed her.

“I’m trying to be patient with you EZ, I am, but you’re not making it easy. I’m trying to understand and give you the benefit of the doubt but with all of this, I trusted you and now I’m starting to feel…stupid.”

EZ’s breath caught in his throat. He knew how she felt. He knew that was all she had asked of him.

_‘I’ll hold you down. Just don’t make me look stupid.’_

That was all she had asked and now he wasn’t delivering. He watched as her shoulders deflated and he finally lost the battle of his will, reaching forward to take her hands in his. He leaned toward her then and spoke quickly.

“Don’t feel stupid. I know that that’s how you feel but don’t. Everything is just so fucking complicated. I want to tell you everything, even the club shit but I just can’t. I want to be totally honest and have you know everything, but I just can’t do that right now. I know you’re pissed and hurt, and you have every right. You do. I’m just asking that you give me some more time. I’ll cut all the Emily shit. I’ll stop that. And once things settle, I can sit down with you and tell you the truth about everything, even if maybe I shouldn’t, but right now isn’t an option. I know you don’t believe me but I’m telling you that I don’t have anything going with Emily. She’s my ex and that’s how it’s going to stay. She’s married and I’m with you and neither of us are trying to change that. I’m not interested in her, she just…”

EZ looked down and blew out a long breath, squeezing Camila’s hands. When he looked back up, he looked defeated and Camila winced but let him continue.

“She needed my help. Every time I go out you tell me to be careful, same with Angel. I know that I haven’t given you full details, but you have a feeling about what goes on anyway and…you’re not wrong. She just needed my help. I’m helping her and then once that’s done, so is interacting with her. I promise.”

By the time EZ had finished, Camila’s brows were now the ones drawn together. She felt like she somewhat understood what he was getting at. There was something dangerous going on and Emily needed help presumably getting out of it. Camila understood that. What she didn’t understand was why it had to be EZ that helped. No doubt it was because she trusted him more than the others, but why did EZ feel the need to take that on? He was a prospect. He had no power or weight, he just did what he was told right? So why was he now being the only one capable of taking on the task? It didn’t make sense and Camila wasn’t going to continue to lie as if it did.

“She needs help with what, Ezekiel? She has a whole husband, what could she possibly need from you that he can’t help her with? Why is it that you can never say no when you need to?”

There was frustration on her face and in her voice and she pulled her hands out of his, EZ quickly making a grab to take hold of them again.

“I’m sorry, Cam.”

He didn’t offer her anything else and she shook her head. There was sadness in her eyes when she looked back at him.

“I don’t know what it is that you do that makes you keep all of these secrets, but I’m not here for it. I don’t like it and I don’t want a relationship consumed by lies and hidden secrets. I just want what we have to be real and right now it feels,”

She stopped herself short, not wanting to say anything that she couldn’t take back. Instead, she took in a deep breath and finished her thought of concisely.

“I’m gonna give you a couple of days to square away whatever ‘this’ is. Figure it out and figure out how to get things back to normal. Back when you would come home to me and didn’t hide your phone. Back when things felt open and I wasn’t wondering when trusting you is going to blow up in my face. I just want that back.”

Her longing was tangible and EZ reached forward, practically snatching her into his arms. He held her tightly, one arm wrapped around her while the other was up, a hand softly cradling the back of her head. He leaned his head down until his cheek was resting against the top of her head. She wasn’t crying, but he knew she felt like it and that alone broke his heart. Silently he vowed to himself. Tomorrow he was going straight to Angel and letting him know that he needed to get Adelita to cut the kidnapping shit out and give Emily back her son. Her selfishly stealing a child was now causing problems for everyone and EZ wasn’t going to stand for it. Not anymore. Too little too late, he realized as he held the woman that he loved. This was affecting her now and that was something he wasn’t going to allow. He had lied and kept the phone calls a secret for her benefit but now he realized that he had only made things worse. Camila was hurting now because of everyone else’s actions. The innocent one in all of it was hurt because once again, he placed Emily before himself. It had backfired when he had broken up to protect her then and it was backfiring now. The only difference was that Camila was getting caught in the crossfire.

Pulling Camila into his chest more, he continued to stroke her hair and rock her, wishing that he could take away whatever negative emotions she was feeling right now. The fact that he had put them there was only making it worse and he felt a wave of anger starting to boil. At Angel for dragging him into the link with Los Olvidados, at Adelita for kidnapping an innocent child, at Emily for seeking him out for help after what she had done to him. Mainly at himself for letting all the bullshit touch her. It was never supposed to have gone down like this, but it did, and he was going to put an end to it.

Pulling away, Camila sat up on her own and EZ gave a small sigh of relief when he saw there were no tears. He didn’t trust himself to keep the truth to himself long enough if she began to cry. He hadn’t even seen her cry yet and he already knew that it was going to be a weakness of his. His relief was short-lived though as Camila got up from the couch and stood there in front of him awkwardly. He looked up at her through puppy eyes, dreading hearing what she was going to say next. He was already expecting it but that didn’t make it hurt any less when the words tumbled quietly from her lips.

“Maybe you could spend the night at the trailer.”

It was simple. There were plenty of undertones and hidden translations within that sentence, but the meaning was clear.

She didn’t want him there right now.

All these nights that he had spent with her, so many that it almost felt as if he lived there with her. Sometimes he forgot that he didn’t. Having an empty spot beside him in bed had become a rarity and EZ could only hope that despite his stupidity, it stayed a rarity. With a nod, he stood from the couch as well and hesitated in front of her. She kept her eyes trained on his chest and his bet was that she didn’t trust herself to look at him. Any other time he would’ve tried but not this time. This time he was going to give her all that space that she needed. He had messed things up enough, he wasn’t going to defy her on this too.

Taking a small step forward, he kept his hands to himself but leaned down and pressed the gentlest kiss her could muster against her forehead, right between her eyebrows. He felt them twitch beneath his lips in a small frown, but he held them there anyway, lingering for a second more before he pulled away. When he did, she finally looked up at him and he pulled his eyes from her, not wanting to see her have to force another smile.

“I’m sorry.”

With that, he removed himself from her entirely and made his way toward her front door. He turned to look back as he heard the sliding door open once more and watched as she went back outside, slipping off her chanclas and climbing back into the hammock. EZ’s shoulders felt heavy as he turned back and slipped his shoes on again, doing the same with his kutte. He was out of her house quickly then, using his own keys to lock up for her. If felt weird, locking himself out rather than in and he turned, his jaw set firmly. He was frustrated and angry, and he was sure that sleep wouldn’t come easy to him tonight. Not with Camila absent from his side. He was on the bike quickly then, riding back to the trailer almost in a daze. It was a surprise to himself when he pulled into the lot. He went through the motions of getting into the trailer, removing everything unnecessary until he was down to just his jeans. His mouth was dry and he walked over to the fridge, pulling the door open and leaning down to look inside, groaning immediately as the first thing he laid eyes on was the glass bottle of homemade juice Cam had given him a couple of days ago. He closed his eyes momentarily and then opened the backup grabbing the bottle and walking over to the couch to sit.

He plopped himself down and opened the bottle, taking a sip as the fresh sweetness of apples and blueberries hit him. All he could see was her face then and he reached over to grab his kutte. He pulled his phone out from the pocket and stared down at it as he held it in his hand. It was going on 1 am and he wasn’t even sure if she was awake or not. Unlocking the phone, he opened their text thread and typed into the bar, hesitating for a couple of seconds before he hit send.

‘Te amo.’

He tossed the phone over onto the table, convinced that she was probably asleep by now and wouldn’t respond. Even if she was awake, she still probably wouldn’t respond. EZ continued drinking the juice, more for the comfort it brought rather than his thirst now. He was surprised when his phone beeped. Picking it up he looked at the screen and felt his worry settle just a little.

‘Te amo igual.’


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> “En serio?” – Seriously?   
> “Perdoname, mija. Lo siento.” – Forgive me, mija. I’m sorry.

“Trouble in paradise?”

EZ looked up from his cup of black coffee to find Coco to his left, taking a seat beside him at the bar. EZ looked back down and nodded gently.

“Yeah. You could say that.”

Coco nodded himself, offering a piece of advice.

“I know this shit with Adelita and the Galindos is fuckin’ with you. I get that, but don’t let it fuck up your future.”

EZ looked back over as he heard his words. It sounded like something Felipe would say. He probably had said it already. EZ chuckled sadly.

“I think it’s a little too late for that.”

Coco’s brows knitted in both confusion and concern.

“What, she broke it off last night?”

The prospect shook his head quickly, not even wanting the possibility to be acknowledged and god forbid spoken out into existence.

“No, no. She’s just hurt. She doesn’t believe that there’s nothing going on with Emily.”

“And she’s right.”

At that, EZ looked over at the Mayan who simply shrugged, his eyes locked on EZ’s.

“She’s not wrong. She doesn’t believe that you’re telling the truth because you’re not. She doesn’t believe that there’s nothing going on because there is. You threw yourself first in line to hold that kid, rockin’ him and shit. Telling Adelita that she needed to make it right. That ain’t your kid, EZ. That ain’t your kid, and Emily ain’t your girl. You have a new girl. Focus on that one. Take care of that one, before she ain’t yours anymore either.”

Coco said nothing else and gave a lingering look before he stood up from his chair and walked away. EZ looked back down at his mug and heaved a heavy sigh. He lifted the mug, gulping down what was left of the already cold coffee and stood himself, walking out of the clubhouse and going outside. He found Angel there on the phone, quickly typing into the device. Seeing him coming, Angel quickly finished up the text and tucked his phone away. Due to the current situation, EZ couldn’t help but wince as he thought about how many times Cam must’ve seen him do that. As he got closer, EZ pointed at where Angel had put his phone.

“Who you talking to?”

He rolled his shoulders and gave a playful half-smile, trying to test the waters and see if Angel was still disappointed in him. Angel’s refusal to return the smile helped EZ figure out the answer to that one. Instead of smiling, Angel leaned back against the table, eying his baby brother.

“Cam.”

EZ’s smile fell quickly.

“Does she need anything?”

“Nope.”

Angel popped the ‘p’ and pulled out his carton of cigarettes, taking one out. EZ simply stared at him and realized that he wasn’t going to offer anything else.

“Is she ok?”

Lighting the tip of the cigarette, Angel took a drag and pulled it away from his lips, blowing out the smoke into the sky as he answered.

“Yep.”

EZ rolled his eyes and pushed at Angel’s shoulder.

“Cut it out. What’s going on?”

At that, Angel’s eyes turned angry and he quickly stood from the table, glaring down at EZ.

“Are you fuckin’ serious? What’s going on? You’re the one fucking up the best thing that’s happened to you in the last decade and you’re asking me what’s going on?”

EZ stayed quiet and took the scolding, which was easy, considering Angel kept going.

“You talk all this shit about how you’re so happy and she’s perfect and you’re glad you found someone to love you the way that she does and then you turn around and shit on it because you can’t stop kissing Emily’s ass? You’re really prepared to let that bitch fuck up what you have with Cam?”

EZ’s shoulder’s squared as Angel called Emily out of her name.

“Don’t talk about her like that.”

There was a moment of complete silence as Angel looked down at his brother. He wasn’t sure what emotion he was feeling more of. There was anger, there was disbelief, there was disappointment, but most of all there was resignation. Here Cam was, texting Angel to see if he wanted to come by and help her garden to get her mind off of the distress EZ was causing, while EZ was getting defensive and protective over the women who had taken away his chance fatherhood. Angel’s mouth opened and closed, so many things wanting to pour from his lips. So many ways he wanted to beat his brother, so many insults he wanted to deliver, but his disbelief had him speechless. Closing his mouth, he simply shook his head with a humorless laugh.

“Our whole lives, everyone always liked you better because you were the smart one. You were the one with the brains, that thought everything out, that had the intelligence to take him anywhere. Mom and dad thought you were their smartest creation and yet look at you,”

Angel motioned to EZ with a scoff and a disappointed shake of his head, looking his up and down as he finished his thought.

“Dumb as fuck with no clue how to appreciate those that love you.”

Angel left it at that and placed his cigarette in his mouth once again, walking away from his brother. EZ stood in place, eyes angry and mouth tight, but he couldn’t say anything. He had caught it from both Angel and Coco within minutes of each other and he knew that they had spoken amongst themselves about what had happened at the meet. About EZ taking Cristobal and holding him, about his anger at Adelita. He knew his actions were a topic of discussion and even if Camila didn’t know, they as a couple were now in drama. Even if Camila didn’t know, Angel, Gilly, and Coco had sympathy for her and her situation. The thought twisted his stomach and he caught up with Angel who was almost back into the clubhouse. He placed his hand on Angel’s shoulder, who promptly shook it off.

“What?”

“Adelita needs to give Cristobal back.”

Angel simply chuckled and faced forward again but EZ grabbed his shoulder once more, much more forcefully this time and spun him around to face him.

“I mean it, Angel. I didn’t ask to get brought into this shit. You dragged me into your little rat side project and that’s what started this whole mess. Emily wants my help because your rebel queen stole her _child_. She’s a mom that wants to protect her baby and she wanted my help because she had nowhere else to turn. I can’t just stand around while an innocent child is used as a fucking pawn in a game of power and greed. Trust me, Camila would understand if I told her that I was helping a worried mother find her abducted son. Camila wouldn’t be feeling the way that she is. She would understand, but she doesn’t because I can’t tell her the fucking truth. You forced me into this shit, and you need to help me make it right. I’m not going to lose Camila because of this. I won’t.”

EZ’s chest was heaving by the time he finished, his nostrils flared in anger as he stared down his brother. Angel looked him over, his shoulders slowly dropping. EZ may not have said it, but Angel knew what he was implying.

Fix it, before I fix it myself.

Angel knew that EZ was at his wit’s end and he wouldn’t put it past him to accidentally sabotage this whole thing in a last-ditch effort to save his relationship. Angel could see that EZ was giving him time to fix things before he simply came clean to Camila, club business secrets be damned. With a deep sigh, Angel nodded.

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll talk to her. See if she can hurry up and get the ball rolling with whatever plan this is that she has going on. I’ll push it.”

EZ relaxed his shoulders some and tried to relax his face. He removed his hand from Angel and sighed.

“I’m not trying to be difficult, but it isn’t supposed to be going down like this.”

With a nod, Angel gave a sigh of his own.

“I know. She doesn’t run this shit by me before she does it. We just go along with it because, in the end, it will be good for the club.”

EZ nodded, staying quiet about his doubts.

“I hope so.”

At that, Angel flicked the butt of his cigarette and spoke out loud.

“We’ll get this fixed. We will.”

Looking back over at EZ, he instructed him.

“I can’t believe I’m even telling you to do this but call Emily and tell her that you need to meet her tonight. When you do, tell her that she needs to stop calling and asking you for shit. You check her on your side, I’ll handle Adelita on my side. That way we can get this shit settled. But make sure that she understands EZ. You made her feel like she can count on you. That was your fuck up, not mine. I can’t save you again.”

The younger brother nodded quickly, understanding. They had both been foolish in their complacency and now someone that they both cared for was caught in the middle. EZ owed it to Cam to get this fixed and even if Angel didn’t say it out loud, EZ knew he felt like he owed it to her too. They both nodded in a final agreement and Angel entered the clubhouse while EZ stayed outside and pulled out his phone, hoping that this was the last time he would have to call Emily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“

“Look how big it’s gotten.”

Angel followed Camila’s finger to the plot he had planted those months ago, now bright and flourishing. The leaves were supple and healthy, and he looked back at Cam who still sat on the bench with a smile.

“It’s big because you’ve been taking care of it.”

With a shrug, Camila argued.

“Maybe, but Abuela always said that the love you first use to plant it is what will keep it healthy, and that was you.”

At that, Angel smiled softly. Looking over at Camila, his voice was quiet.

“I would’ve loved to meet her.”

Camila’s smile stayed in place, but she looked down at her lap while she nodded. She gave a light laugh and her eyes were shining with tears as she looked back up.

“She would’ve loved to meet you too, Angel.”

Angel hesitated for a moment but spit it out anyway.

“Tell me about her.”

Camila’s smile grew even more, and she turned to face Angel just a little.

“She was amazing. I know there’s no such thing as perfect, but she was as close I’ve ever found. She was loving and warm and kind. She took care of everyone. She always made sure everyone had food, that they had a home. She was my Abuela, but she was like the neighborhood Abuela too. Everyone loved her.”

Camila paused for a moment and Angel couldn’t help but smile himself.

“She loved me. Like, really _loved_ me. I always felt most loved when I was with her. Being with her was always my safe place. My parents were…difficult. Not very affectionate or loving period, really. They argued all the time, over petty shit. They always looked for a reason to be mad at each other, so they didn’t have to talk. I can’t really remember a time where they ever really seemed in love. Any love and affection that I got as a kid was from Abuela. I would try but they always said I was too clingy. That it was annoying how I always wanted to hug or hold hands or cuddle. Abuela would hold me forever though.”

Camila laughed again, more to herself, as she remembered being 18 and still being held the same way from when she was 5. Shaking off the nostalgia, Camila looked back at Angel who had a look of both sympathy and pride in his eyes. Leaning over, he rested his shoulder against hers.

“And I’m sure that if she was still here, she’d be holding you now too. She turned you into one hell of a woman.”

Camila’s smile was ear to ear, and she leaned herself into Angel’s shoulder as well.

“Thanks, Angel.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head like he always did before pulling back. There was silence for a while then, both of them just listening to the birds, feeling the breeze on their skin. They enjoyed the company and Camila felt bad ruining it, but she felt she had to ask.

“Hey, Angel?”

The Mayan looked back over at her, tilting his head and giving her his attention.

“Yeah?”

She hesitated, Angel could see it, but he didn’t want to push her. He figured it was something else she wanted to tell him about her parents or Abuela. Her question caught him completely off guard.

“Is EZ cheating with Emily?”

Angel’s eyes went wide, and he just looked at her, her eyes searching his deeply.

“I know he’s your brother and you want to protect him, but I trust you and I just want to know- “

“He’s not. I swear.”

Camila stayed looked at him as he further assured her.

“He’s faithful, Cam. This club shit just has everyone scattered and getting pushed into corners they don’t want to be in but we’re working on it. He’s going about it the wrong way, I know, but I promise. He isn’t having an affair.”

Angel’s eyes were true, no shifting or darting and Camila nodded slowly. Angel didn’t have any reason to lie. What would he get out of covering for EZ? Taking his word for it, she relented and sighed.

“I just don’t like how he’s always talking to her. And how he hides it. Why does he have to hide everything? I’m not stupid. I know there’s shit with the club that I shouldn’t know and isn’t my business but keeping up with an ex is just…”

Camila trailed off and Angel stayed quiet. To be honest there really wasn’t much for him to say. Both he and Camila were on the same page there. EZ had made it his business. He didn’t have to answer Emily’s calls or agree to meet up. That was a choice that he made on his own and he couldn’t blame the club or Angel for that. Looking back at Angel, Camila’s curiosity got the best of her.

“Do you think he’ll tell the truth? Not even only about what’s up with her but like what you do?”

Angel hesitated then. He wasn’t sure what to say. It really wasn’t his place to answer. He wasn’t sure where EZ’s head was at and he wasn’t sure how EZ was going to handle everything. He felt that EZ would keep as much secret as possible to shield her from it, but it was becoming more and more obvious that the lies had an expiration date, and it was coming up fast. She knew EZ was keeping secrets about what was happening, and she knew he was keeping secrets about what they did as an MC. Choosing his words, Angel just gave her honesty.

“I don’t know. I think he’ll tell you when he’s ready.”

Camila stayed looking at him and Angel did the same. Camila knew that EZ could keep a secret for as long as he wanted. She knew that for a fact because she had been let in on the KJ one, one that Angel was still oblivious to. Finally looking away, Camila stood as did Angel and the two said goodbye, a weird vibe coming over as Angel left her home. Camila knew that he was keeping things from her as well, but she couldn’t blame him because he was tied to the same code of club secrecy that EZ was. She understood, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get dragged into the life of crime, money, and secrets. Not again.  

Feeling as though maybe she had overreacted, she grabbed for her phone and started calling EZ, not even the first sequence of the ringing being completed before he was answering her.

“Hi, Camila.”

She smiled and laughed softly, able to picture him fumbling as he tried to answer the call as quickly as possible.

“Hey, corazón.”

Hearing her voice alone was enough to make him feel better but being able to receive her affection and terms of endearment when he knew he probably didn’t deserve it.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over. Nothing special. Maybe just some pizza and wings, watch a movie.”

It had been three days now since the confrontation and three days since she had really spent time with him. She missed him, even if her heart was still feeling a little bruised. She wanted to trust him and Angel though, trust that whatever was happening with Emily was just a random wrinkle that needed to be smoothed out before it went away. EZ winced on his end though. He wanted nothing more than to be able to spend time with her, to chill and eat and cuddle and love her like he had been used to doing, but he had made plans to meet Emily at the shop. Angel had spoken to Adelita and Los Olvidados had worked out some type of trade where the Galindos would be getting their son back in the days to come. Now he could finally meet with Emily for the last time and once she told him they were getting Cristóbal back, he could tell her that there wasn’t any reason for their paths to cross again. He could close that chapter once and for all and move on with Camila. He couldn’t tell Cam that though since he had already sworn that he wouldn’t speak to Emily anymore. It was just this one last time, but he didn’t want Camila to have to keep worrying about it. It would all get swept under the rug then and they could start back up where they had left off.

“I can’t come for lunchtime, but I can come around later. Coco and I have to go with Angel to meet with a club friend but once I’m done there, I can meet you at home, ok?”

Camila smiled and agreed, changing the dinner choice.

“Ok, that’s fine. I might cook instead of ordering out since I’ll have time then. Just come home when you can.”

“I’ll see you then. I love you.”

EZ smiled and the boys all mocked him, making kissing noises and poking at him, EZ simply slapping their hands away with a laugh.

Camila’s voice was light, and she said her goodbyes, EZ hanging up only to be swarmed by Angel and Coco once again.

“You owe us, boy scout.”

It was true. Both really had pushed and convinced and negotiated until Adelita had agreed to return Cristobal. What happened after that, EZ didn’t really care. He just wanted things to back to normal and after tonight, they would be.

Standing from the bench and walking away just a bit, EZ called Felipe to verify that it was still ok for them to meet tonight. The old man had been hesitant, feeling as though he was betraying Camila. He loved her, everyone knew that, and he felt bad allowing EZ to use his shop, a place where Camila had always felt safe and comfortable even if it was to settle things once and for all. Felipe had agreed reluctantly, only under the condition that EZ never allow her to jeopardize his life with Camila again. EZ agreed and now that was the final piece to the puzzle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Camila grabbed the sopes that she had leftover from lunch and packaged them up, placing them gently into her bag along with some tomatoes. Tying a knot at the top, she grabbed the bag and as well as her keys from the counter. She still had about an hour and a half before EZ would get home from being with the boys and she figured she would stop by Felipe’s shop and give him some leftovers before she started dinner. It was cloudy and gloomy as she stepped out, a strong wind blowing the tendrils of hair that hung from her bun around. She squinted against the wind and looked up, the clear beginnings of a storm brewing. Not wanting to get caught in it, she quickly placed the bag into her trunk and got in the car, starting to make the drive to the carniceria.

The streets were empty, no one really wanting to be out in the weather that was coming. She frowned slightly, feeling bad that Angel, Coco, and EZ were going to have to ride in the storm when they were finished. She had the thought to invite them all over later but EZ had said he wanted to spend time alone with her and she wasn’t going to ruin those plans. She cruised along, five below the speed limit, simply enjoying the deserted streets. Before long, she was coming up to the carniceria and saw an escalade parked out in front of the shop. Happy that Felipe was still there, Camila pulled over and parked on the opposite side of the street, hoping it didn’t start raining before she could get back to her car to leave. She hopped out quickly, and went back to her trunk, grabbing the bag and closing the door. She checked both ways across the deserted street out of habit and then crossed, a smile on her face as she saw Felipe through the glass. He was behind the counter and looked to be cleaning up. Likely to close up early and get home before the storm. A flash lit up the sky then, thunder following and shaking the ground. The sudden noise startled her, jostling her focus enough to where she didn’t notice the Harley parked over in front of the escalade. Felipe looked up and saw her coming, his eyes widening. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of days, and she grinned even wider at what she perceived as excitement. She got closer to the door and could see him standing still but her attention was drawn by someone grabbing her elbow firmly.

“I’m sorry ma’am, they’re closed. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Looking over, she saw an unfamiliar man in a suit standing there, an emotionless look on his face as he looked at her. She politely shook off his grip and pointed with her free hand to the door.

“Oh, no. I’m going to see Felipe, here at the carniceria.”

She took a step forward and the man reached for her again, this time Camila avoiding the grab before he could touch her. She pulled open the door and walked in looking backward, speaking out loud to Felipe.

“Hola, Felipe. Perdón, I was just coming to drop off some,”

Camila looked forward then, the sound of something loudly clattering to the floor drawing her attention. Her smile slowly fell from her face as she took in the three sets of wide eyes staring at her. Felipe was in fact cleaning, his wrinkled hands holding the stick of the mop in a vice as he stared at her. Over at the table, stood EZ, his eyes wide as saucers as he stood motionless. The chair he had been sitting was laying on the floor behind him, having fallen over when he had stood so quickly seeing Camila. His shoulders were high and squared, a tension in his body she hadn’t ever witnessed before while his face held a truly terrified look. Last, Camila looked at the other chair at the table, Emily’s eyes just as wide though holding confusion as well.

She stood slowly, her posture straightening from the relaxed slouch it had been in before. Emily visibly swallowed and then shifted her eyes to EZ. Camila did the same thing, her eyes leaving the blonde and settling on the man who had told her that he couldn’t have lunch with her so that he could be with his ex. It felt like a slap in the face as if time had stood still. Everyone looked like statues, starting at Camila silently, not knowing what to say. Camila could feel herself start to tremble, her heartbeat clear in her ears as her pressure rose. Her grip released and the bag dropped down to the floor, falling on its side, the lunch she had put together for Felipe scattering on the tile. Vaguely she could register the sound of the door opening once again, the man from outside coming in as well but it wasn’t of any concern of Camila’s. EZ’s eyes held alarming guilt and his hand slowly raised, his right foot taking a step toward her.

“Stay the fuck away from me.”

EZ stopped immediately, Camila never having spoken to him in that way, sheer venom being spat at him. He swallowed dryly, his eyes glancing down at the food on the floor. Her voice called him back.

“So, this is what you’re doing? All that shit about being done talking to her, that it was over, that I didn’t have anything to worry about. You told me that you couldn’t have lunch with me so you can come and eat lunch with her here? Are you fucking kidding me?”

Camila motioned to the table, two bags of Mc Donald’s and assorted half-eaten foods on the table where they had been sitting. Emily looked from Camila to EZ, back and forth before looking over at Felipe. Camila looked over at Felipe as well then and he winced under her gaze. Her voice was softer when she spoke to him, not ever wanting to disrespect him even in her state of shock and hurt. The hurt was clear both in her eyes and her voice though.

“En serio? You let him do this here?”

The father gulped and shook his head, looking for words but coming up blank.

“Perdoname, mija. Lo siento.” 

Camila opened her mouth again then closed it, heavy searing tears welling up in her eyes. She had trusted him, trusted them all, and never in her life had she felt more stupid. She didn’t speak another word and turned around, pushing past the man in the suit and walking out of the shop. EZ quickly followed her, calling out to her. She ignored him and kept walking. She crossed the street, not even bothering to look both ways this time in her anger. EZ called out to her and she ignored him, large drops of rain starting to drop. He caught up to her by her car and grabbed her arm, not expecting her to push him away from her so roughly.

“How fucking dare you? I look after you, I love you, I take care of you, I take care of your brother, of your dad, and this is how you treat me? This is the shit you try to pull on me?”

EZ shook his head furiously, his hands grabbing her wrists and not allowing her to pull away from him.

“It’s not what it looks like, Cam! It’s not.”

She laughed humorlessly, a tear slipping down her cheek as the others gathered in her lashes.

“Yeah, first time I’ve heard that shit.”

“I mean it. I’m not cheating on you.”

“Then why are you here with her? Why did you say you couldn’t spend time with me? Why did you lie about going with Angel?”

Her eyes narrowed then, and her voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke again.

“You were with her. The other day, when you came over so late, left me to eat dinner all by myself. You were with her.”

She was speaking more to herself than she was to him, simply verbalizing the realization. It brought a fresh wave of tears then and she began yanking her arms, furiously trying to get out of his grasp. EZ’s brows were knitted together in anguish, his heart thumping in his chest. He looked over at the shop, Emily walking out and getting into the car with her driver, Felipe standing solemnly in the same place. EZ couldn’t let it keep going. He couldn’t let Camila think he would be unfaithful, he couldn’t let her think that his father or Angel had something to do with it, and he couldn’t let her think that she was stupid for letting them love her. Looking back down at her, he released her arms only to take her face in his hands firmly.

“They took her baby.”

Camila’s struggling dwindled until it ceased altogether. She looked up at him, confusion clear in her gaze.

“What?”

“Emily. They kidnapped her son.”

Camila’s shoulders settled then, ever the empath as she felt a pang of pain for any mother having their child taken.

“Who did?”

EZ hesitated, taking a deep breath and then heaving it out, realizing that it was all or nothing.

“A group of rebels based out of Mexico. They did it as retaliation.”

Camila shook her head, not understanding.

“Retaliation for what? What did she do?”

Huffing, EZ corrected her.

“Not her. Her husband.”

“Miguel.”

“Right.”

“Well, what did he do?”

At that EZ hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much truth he wanted to lay on her in one night, but he needed her to understand why he had done things the way that he had.

“He’s done a lot of shit. Bad shit. He’s…his father was the head of the Galindo cartel.”

He paused and took in Camila’s face, the shock, the confusion, the veil of slight understanding, then the confusion came back.

“What does that have to do with you?”

“The MC has a deal with him. We’re partnered.”

“Partnered. With a cartel.”

EZ rubbed the back of his neck and nodded gently.

“We do the footwork, the muscle. The rebels wanted to get back at him so they kidnapped her and the baby. They let her go but kept the kid and she asked me to help find him.”

Camila nodded, the pieces starting to fall into place, the picture becoming a little clearer.

“So you helped her get her son back?”

EZ nodded, not feeling like bringing up the whole Los Olvidados thing at the same time.

“She’ll have him back by tomorrow morning.”

Camila nodded, sighing and shaking her head. Motioning around her, she questioned EZ.

“Why all this? Why the running around and lying? Why couldn’t you just be honest with me?”

Now it was EZ’s turn to be confused.

“How could I just tell you that? That’s heavy shit. I didn’t want to lay it on you.”

“So you rather have me believe that the man that I love is having an affair?”

When she put it that way, he realized that him doing what he thought was best had actually nearly ruined everything. He hung his head, then picked it back up, letting his hands drop from her face. She stayed standing in place.

“I would never cheat on you. I love you way too fucking much. I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me. I want to marry you and have kids with you and start a family and see them running around your garden and the kitchen cooking and reading books and smiling like you. I want you forever. No one is ever going to matter more to me than you. I just…I fucked up. I didn’t show you that. I didn’t make you feel that, and it won’t happen again. I swear to you.”  

EZ’s voice was pleading by the time he finished and Camila wouldn’t have put it passed him to drop to his knees there in the soft rain if that was what it took to get her to see that he meant it. Closing her eyes, she let out a long breath and relaxed her shoulders, sudden exhaustion coming over her. The last 10 minutes of her life had been a true roller coaster and she had had many questions cleared up, while many new ones arose. The one that she cared most about though, was if EZ was being unfaithful, and now that she had the truth, it felt like she could take a nap. She felt emotionally drained and EZ pouted as he looked at her, the exhaustion clear on her features as well. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, speaking to her quietly.

“Let’s go home.”

Shaking her head, Camila pulled away and looked back at the carniceria.

“I can’t. I spilled the food all over Felipe’s floor. I have to go help clean up.”

EZ couldn’t help but laugh softly and smoothed his hands over her dampened hair before kissing her nose.

“Ok. We’ll go clean up and then can we go home?”

Camila nodded, looking up at him with what looked like the beginning of her twinkle coming back. The one EZ hadn’t seen in weeks, extinguished all because of him. He was beyond thankful to see it coming back and he rubbed his thumb along her cheek as she answered.

“Then we can go home.” 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: “Eres me vida.” – You are my life.

Camila sighed as she tossed her purse down onto the counter. She kicked her shoes off and trudged to the living room, throwing herself down onto the couch. She was tired, emotionally and physically, and she felt like she could just turn in for the night right there. EZ followed behind her though and sat down much more gently than she had. He took his seat beside her, his brows still knitted together in guilt and remorse. He had ripped the band-aid off right there in the street, overloading Camila’s brain with answers to questions she had asked and even to ones that she didn’t. EZ loved her. This was something that everyone knew, and he wasn’t going to lose her because of lies. It had seemed like it was not only the best option but the only option and he had opened the flood gates. Now as he looked back though, he wondered if maybe he had said too much. He hadn’t eased her into the fact that she was in love with a man that was working alongside a cartel, he had simply thrown it in her face and he worried that as the shock wore off, he may still lose his woman. The lies had been too much, but maybe the truth was going to be just as much of a deterrent.

Looking over at her, he saw Cam staring forward, her eyes ever so slightly still red from her crying earlier. His hand was slow as it reached over, and it rested on her knee. Feeling his touch, she looked over at him but couldn’t manage a smile. Instead, she rested her hand over his and gave a soft squeeze.

“I’m gonna go take a bath.”

EZ nodded and pushed just a little.

“Is it ok if I go with you? I’ll let you chill, I just want to be near you.”

Camila contemplated it for a moment and then nodded before standing.

The pair walked to her bathroom in silence, Camila stripping down. EZ didn’t watch, feeling like he didn’t deserve it, and instead opted to start running the water nice and hot. He pulled the cover of the toilet seat down and sat while Cam climbed into the tub and slid down. Her dark hair was piled high on her head, loose strands that had escaped the bun hanging down and resting on her shoulders. A few of the longer pieces touched the water and got stuck to her skin and EZ simply watched, admiring her. Her eyes were closed, her body slipping lower and lower into the water until it has practically at her chin. EZ’s voice was soft as he reminded her, figuring that she had forgotten.

“You don’t want any of that pink powder stuff?”

Camila’s eyes opened and she smiled softly.

“You can grab it if you want.”

The Prospect stood and grabbed the jar from the counter, opening the seal and taking the little spoon that was attached. He scooped some into the spoon and sprinkled it along the top of the steaming water, watching as the chunks of rose grew even more vibrant and the oatmeal swirled around in the water until it turned milky white. He closed the jar and put it back, going to sit back down on the toilet seat and watch Camila. Her eyes were closed again, and he swallowed dryly feeling like he was intruding. He had ruined enough of her day today, the least he could do was let her enjoy her bath in peace.   Standing, he rubbed the palms of his hands on the front of his jeans. Camila heard the sound and opened her eyes once more to see EZ standing there, looking down at her solemnly. With a sigh, Camila reached out, her hand dripping and silky as it held onto his wrist.

“Let me finish up here and we can talk ok?”

EZ nodded quickly, both her voice and eyes looking a bit more energized and he squeezed her hand.

“Take your time, bella.”

Camila smiled softly and released him, her shoulders sinking back into the water as he walked out.

EZ when back to the living room and figured he’d wait for her there. He walked around the living room slowly, taking in the little details he never had before. The intricacies of painted plates and dolls that were on the far shelf, the assortment of pictures neatly hung around. He had always seen the first few, his eyes always drawn to them whenever he had to walk through the hallway, but he had never really sat still to observe them all. He slowly made his way around, eyes glazing over all the faces.

He could pinpoint Camila’s in every one. He could see a young girl, maybe between four and six who resembled Camila. If Cam hadn’t been the one standing behind the young girl, hands resting gently on her shoulders, EZ could’ve said it was her. He figured it was a cousin and moved on. There were a few childhood ones, Camila in a yard with other children, laughing and smiling. There was one of Camila older, maybe 16 or so with a boy. Their hands were laced, and Camila’s smile was wide. The boy simply wore more of a smirk, his head tilted back slightly, an air of pride about him. Probably a first boyfriend that felt lucky to have Cam on his arm. EZ understood, feeling that same pride himself. He moved on and looked over further.

There was one slightly bigger with an adolescent Camila sitting up in a wooden chair, her hair combed and styled to perfection and her white dress without a wrinkle in sight. Her posture was perfect, her back achingly straight, neck looking strained to hold her head up, hands folded together and resting in her lap. There was a smile on her face but EZ could call it as forced immediately. Two adults were standing behind her, around middle age and EZ realized that they were likely her parents. Cam didn’t ever really speak of them. It was always Abuelita Magdalena and cousins, but never her parents. EZ’s interest in them had always been there, wondering what the relationship was like and why Cam never jumped at the opportunity to talk about them the way she did with Abuela. He leaned closer and inspected. Her father stood straight, one arm crossed behind his back while the other was resting on what he assumed to be Camila’s back. The touch looked normal, his arm relaxed and Camila’s body leaned more toward him. The hold that her mother had looked far less gentle. Her fingers were clutching at Camila’s upper arm, the golden skin pushing out between her mother’s fingers from the force. Her smile was bright, all teeth and EZ could feel an ominous vibe from the woman. Her grip looked forceful and uncomfortable and EZ’s jaw clenched. Mom or not, he didn’t like the thought of anyone touching Camila in a way that wasn’t loving.

“I wasn’t sitting up straight enough.”

Her voice caught him off guard and he jumped, finding her standing behind him to the right, her hair still up and slightly damp at the ends. She was wearing one of his white tees and some socks and looked cute as ever. He had to pull his eyes away from her and remember that she had spoken to him. She continued, explaining the picture to him.  

“My mom had paid a lot of money to get these pictures done. She wanted to send them to our family back in Mexico and she wanted them to look perfect. I wasn’t sitting up enough so she grabbed my arm and kept yanking me up and back so I would look more presentable.”

EZ’s anger magnified. He was angry at the woman, but he was also slightly irritated. Not necessarily with Cam, but at how she seemed to consider it normal. At how she explained it to him as if he would understand and agree.

“That wasn’t necessary.”

Camila smiled but stayed looking at the photo.

“Abuelita said the same thing. That I could’ve been laying on the floor in a potato sack and that would’ve been ok.”

EZ laughed at that and so did Cam.

“I wish I could’ve met her.”

EZ’s words pulled Camila’s attention and she couldn’t help but remember Angel saying the same. Changing the subject, she pointed over to the dinner table.

“We can go talk…”

EZ nodded and quickly walked with her. He couldn’t help but place his hand on the left side of her waist as he followed and pulled her chair out for her to sit. She thanked him and he walked around to sit across from her, his stomach feeling like he was on a roller coaster as he worried she was going to call it off. She pulled on leg up, her socked foot on the seat as her hands held her knee. Her words surprised him.

“Tell me everything again. I was overwhelmed and angry and hurt and I don’t listen as well as I should when I’m like that. I know that you were just trying to prove a point and get out everything that you needed. I’m sure there are things you forgot to mention or didn’t want to mention and things I didn’t listen to enough. We need to get everything out on the table. Everything, Ezekiel. No half-truths, no stretched truths, no watered-down versions because you think I can’t handle it. I want the truth. If you can’t give it to me then tell me now. This is the last chance you’re getting. We aren’t going to have one of these talks again. I love you more than anything, but I don’t deserve to be lied to and played for a pendeja.”

EZ flinched and he shook his head quickly.

“I’m not trying to. I was trying to protect you, but I fucked up and I admit that. I shouldn’t have lied to you period, but I just want you to know that my intentions were good. I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore after this, but I need you to know that.”

Cam nodded but stayed silent and EZ knew she was waiting for him. With a deep breath, he opened the floodgates.

“When I was locked up, they offered me a deal. I told you about that,”

Camila nodded once more and EZ continued.

“These people, the Feds, they do their homework. They know everything that there is to know about you so that they can use it against you. I was facing 35 years and they knew I didn’t want that. They knew about Angel and the MC, they even knew about what the MC was doing for money. Shit that I didn’t even know, they knew. So, the deal was that they would release me on short time, I would get Angel to help me out, get me into the MC and then give them intel.”

He paused, giving Camila time to process and ask any questions she had.

“So, Angel helped you get into the club so that you could get out?”

EZ tilted his head.

“He helped me get into the club, but he didn’t know about the deal.”

Cam nodded once and tilted her own head.

“So, you used him.”

It was a statement. Not a question that she wanted to be verified. It hurt to hear it, but it was the truth. EZ couldn’t help but hang his head some.

“Yeah. I didn’t want him to get involved, I wanted to keep him safe.”

The noise Camila made was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, and he knew exactly why. She explained in case he didn’t.

“It seems like you have a habit of doing that. Thinking you’re putting someone’s best interest first and then making it worse.”

EZ hung his head low and Camila sighed.

“I’m sorry. That was low.”

EZ looked back and argued.

“It’s the truth. I try to look out for people and then I fuck it up until they’re worse off than they started.”

Camila felt bad, and brought her leg down, trying not to seem so closed off. Both feet now on the floor, she leaned toward him.

“Keep going.”

“He got me into the club, and I was able to see what was going on. What kind of business they were doing. Barely any of it was legal. They have a deal with the Galindo cartel. Emily’s husband Miguel is the current leader. It was his dad before him. The Feds have wanting intel but could never get enough of it. Until they got their hands on me. That’s why Kevin is always up my ass. He’s got one foot out the door practically, hasn’t cracked a case in who knows how long. He needs me just as much as I need him. The MC is basically in Miguel’s pocket. They do their own thing, but when Miguel calls and needs a favor, you do it. No refusing. Miguel’s dad did a lot of bad shit and so has he. They’ve both hurt too many people to count. A rebel group formed with the orphans from murdered families and their goal is to take him down. To rid the world of his evil. They call him El Diablo. So, they kidnapped Emily and her son to take the kid and use him as leverage. Angel is in with the leader of the rebel group. They have their own side deal going. He’s feeding her info from the MC that she can use to get rid of the cartel too. Angel doesn’t want Miguel around any more than the rest of us. He didn’t know they were going to take Emily’s baby, but we found out and I couldn’t let Emily worry that her baby was dead in a ditch somewhere. She came to me for help and I helped her. I shouldn’t have kept it a secret and I shouldn’t have lied to you, but everyone is using everyone, and loyalties are crisscrossing everywhere. It’s messy and dangerous and I wanted to keep you as far away from it as possible. I don’t want you anywhere near Emily because Miguel is always watching, and he will use whatever and whoever he has to in order to get what he wants. I wasn’t going to let that happen, not to you.”

EZ sat back then, shoulders squared with everything off his chest. He knew it was a lot and he knew this would be the moment where Cam sent him packing if she wanted to part of it. All he could do was plead his case one last time.

“I apologize for lying. I apologize for hiding things from you. I apologize for keeping you in the dark. I apologize for hurting you and making you think that Emily ever had a chance at stealing your spot. I’m sorry that you’ve been hurting because of my actions. I apologize for all that. But I won’t apologize for doing what I had to do to keep you away from them. Your safety is what matters to me. Keeping you away from Miguel is what matters. I’m sorry that I was too stupid to find a better way to do it, but you’re here in one piece, safe in your own home and I’m not sorry about that.”

EZ’s head was higher now, his body language sure and proud. He may have made mistakes but protecting her physically was always the plan and he had succeeded. Camila stayed looking at him, not used to this sure, dominant nature that he was exuding. He was being honest and upfront like she had asked but sticking to his guns. He could’ve let her get caught up in the mix, but he didn’t and that stood for something. Camila chewed on her bottom lip and her voice was low when she did finally speak.

“And the whole thing about wanting to marry me and have a family with me?”

EZ didn’t miss a beat, his eyes locked on hers and not wavering for anything.

“Still true. I love you. _Eres me vida_.  You’re everything to me. I want to be able to say that you’re my wife, that you had my children. I want that. I know all of this may have changed how you feel about me, if you trust me, if you even want me around, but that’s how I feel, and it hasn’t changed. It won’t.”

Camila’s eyes stayed on his for a while and EZ would be lying if he said he wasn’t sweating. He kept eye contact though and in time Cam nodded.

“And that’s everything?”

“That’s everything.”

Camila blew out a breath and fiddled with her fingers.

“It’s a lot. I didn’t know that all of this would come with you. My life is simple, and this changes the score.”

EZ closed his eyes, already feeling the rejection coming.

“I just wanted to live my life in peace. No drama, no danger. But those things are a package deal with you.”

She was quiet for a little while more after that and EZ knew that she was contemplating. He was already expecting her to tell him she wanted to split up. Her next words threw him off entirely.

“This crime shit isn’t new to me.”

EZ’s eyes were wide as they looked at her and she tilted her head back to the living room.

“Those pictures? The one of me and the guy, buzzed head, cocky stance.”

EZ nodded, knowing the one.

“He’s my ex. The only reason I have it up is because Abuelita begged us for the picture. It was the last picture she ever took. He was always doing something shady, gang bangin’, causing trouble. I loved him, Abuela loved him. The life he could give me wasn’t necessarily the life that I wanted but I loved him, so I stayed anyway. I just wanted him. I was willing to be there, so long as I didn’t get dragged in. The way he treated me made up for the danger. Then one day I got cops banging on Abuela’s door at 1 in the morning wanting to talk to me about shit I didn’t even know. Something about counterfeits. We split after that.”

Leaning forward, Camila shook her hands at him.

“What I’m saying is that I would’ve understood. You would’ve known that if you had just told me. I want to be with you. I love you. I just need to know what I’m up against.”

Out of all the things she could’ve said, that was the absolute last thing on his mind and now he felt ten times as stupid realizing that she not only would’ve understood but could’ve given him guidance. He couldn’t help but laugh at the turn of events softly. Shaking his head, he looked back at her.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve given you the chance.”

Cam nodded once and then looked at the clock on the stove.

“I’m gonna start dinner.”

EZ silently reveled in the relief and shook his head, grabbing her hand from across the table.

“Don’t. Let’s order out. Just relax. No cooking.”

With a shrug, Cam agreed and stood, EZ standing as well. He swaggered over to her side of the table and took her hips in his hands while she looked up at him. He leaned down to kiss her lips and she patted his chest gently, a small smirk on her lips.

“Not so fast.”

EZ laughed himself and relented, pulling his hands off of her shapely hips and holding them up in surrender.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pointing to the spare room, she sent EZ.

“Go get comfortable. I’ll order now.”

More than happy that she was ordering him around anywhere, he listened and started making his way to the spare bedroom where he had some of his stuff stored. He stopped to look at the pictures once again as he passed by them and focused on the one of her and her ex. Unprovoked and with no lies, she had told him the truth, and EZ was thankful for it. Especially since he maybe didn’t deserve it. What Camila had said came to him again then though and he replayed it.

_Abuela loved him._

_The only reason I have it up is because Abuelita begged us for the picture._

_It was the last picture she ever took._

Those statements alone were a testament to the importance he had to them. The importance he had to Camila. EZ felt like the world’s biggest asshole, but he couldn’t help the bubble of jealousy he felt. Camila hadn’t done anything wrong. She was just a kid, and so was the guy, both clearly teens. It wasn’t her being with him that made EZ jealous. It was that he had met Magdalena and EZ didn’t get to. That she had loved him, enjoyed having him around. No doubt the woman had passed away thinking that he would be the one to marry Camila. This guy had been open with Cam about what he did, what he was into and had treated her well enough for it not to matter. A young kid had put EZ to shame in terms of treating Cam properly and the prospect couldn’t help but spare a glance up and speak softly.

“Sorry, Señora. I’ll make it right. I promise.”


End file.
